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YWCA USA Resource Library
YWCA Stellar Staffing This document is part of the YWCA USA Online Resource Library. Find more resources on the intranet at www.ywca.org.
1
stellar staffing
The business of attracting and sustaining high quality YWCA employees and sustaining a high quality employment environment is not one left to chance. Employees, and more importantly their
contributions, comprise an organization’s
most important assets. Therefore, a well
designed and maintained system of intentional
efforts, supports and strategies is merited.
Instrumental to a positive culture and vital
to productivity and success is the caliber
of talent and motivation in a nonprofit.
And, it is the organizations that cultivate
productive, satisfied employees which are
thriving. Smart leaders realize that the
people they have chosen have chosen
them as well. Therefore, they treat
workers fairly and as generously as
possible, respect their personal lives,
respect and incorporate the experiences
they bring to their positions, provide
opportunities for development, and fill
their jobs with meaning.
In return, these employees impart their
talent and efforts while pulling together
through transitions and challenging times.
To help loyal employees excel, astute
organizational leaders constantly strive
towards creating the best possible
workplace for the kinds of people who
can help achieve its vital mission.
Table of Contents….Page 2
Recruitment and Selection
Transition
Retention Onboarding
Performance Enhancement
Development and Support
Updated winter, 2014 Please note: this information is presented as a resource, not advice. YWCA resource materials are reserved for YWCA use only and copyright restrictions apply. For the development of any major agreement or plans, be sure to engage appropriate counsel
YWCA Stellar Staffing 2
YWCA Staff Members – Essential Attributes……………….....… 3
4 Elements of a Great Organizational Culture………………..…. 4-6
Leadership Competency Model…………………………………… 7
Psychological Contracts Iceberg Model………………………….. 8 Recruitment and Selection At a Glance……………………………………………………….. 9-10 Tips & Tools
Sample YWCA Application Flow Chart………………..……. 11 Writing/Posting Job Ads That Attract Top Talent………….. 12-13 Job Announcement Checklists………………………………. 14 Job Posting Example…………………………………………. 15 Recruitment Research Findings…………………………….. 16 How to Interview Candidates………………………………... 17 Making the Selection…………………………………………. 18-19
Onboarding At a Glance………………………………………………,,.……… 20 Tips & Tools
Welcome Packet and Presentation List…………………..… 21
Performance Appraisal and Planning At a Glance…………………………………………………….…. 22 Tips & Tools
Performance Enhancement and Performance Appraisal... 23 Performance Levels and Enhancement Strategies……….. 24-25 Managing Employment Changes…………………………… 26-27
Development, Support and Retention
At a Glance……………………………………………………….. 28 Tips & Tools
Importance of Staff Development…………………………… 29 Knowledge and Skill Development Programs……………… 30-31 Motivation and Engagement………………………………… 32-34 Helping Staff Members to Develop Positive Attitudes……. 35 Steps to Create a Comprehensive Staff Development Plan 36 Why Happy Employees Are Good for Business………………. 37 High-performing Workplaces………………………………… 38 Measuring Stellar Staffing Achievements………………….. 39
Transition At a Glance…………………………………………………….….. 40 Tips & Tools
Voluntary Separation Considerations……………………… 41 Staff Transition Plan Template……………………………… 42 Involuntary Separation Considerations…………………….. 43 Considerations re: Reduction in Staff………………………. 44 Succession Planning Primer………………………………… 45
Five-points for Effective Succession Planning…………….. 46 Appendix with Sample Forms and Templates……………….. 47
YWCA Job Application Information and Template………… 48-53 Application Evaluation Form…………………………………. 54 Application Correspondence Templates………................... 55-58 Sample Interview Questions……………………………….… 59-66 Sample Letters Regarding Employment…………….…....... 67-70
Table of Contents
YWCA Stellar Staffing 3
YWCA Staff Members – Essential Attributes
The YWCA’s aim to eliminate racism and empower women requires
intentional efforts and interactions from all staff members that foster
growth among those we serve and ensure mission progress.
YWCA staff members have responsibilities covering three levels:
carrying out day to day tasks related to their particular program or
administrative area
contributing to short-term objectives of their particular program or
administrative area, and,
helping to strengthen the overall organization.
To these ends, it is important to hire YWCA staff that primarily serve as
“mission-agents” who can also serve in a particular program or
administrative area. Of greatest value are those who:
have already demonstrated their understanding of and commitment
to the YWCA mission.
understand the cultural competency skills necessary to be an
effective part of a diverse, mission-focused, action-oriented
organization committed to eliminating racism and empowering
women
understand and commit to interacting in ways that uncover and
develop women's and girls’ confidences and leadership skills
have the ability and willingness to raise awareness of and support
for the YWCA mission.
have a strong sense of integrity and accountability
are able to identify opportunities for YWCA capacity building
interact in a way that allows and fosters highly productive working
relationships.
have strong communication/articulation, problem solving, strategic
thinking, and, leadership skills …. See Leadership Competency
Model graphic, page 7.
To these ends it is important to ensure that YWCA staff members and teams:
know and understand what is expected of them
have the opportunity to discuss and contribute to individual and team aims and
objectives
have are can develop the skills and abilities to deliver on the job’s expectations
are supported by the organization in increasing their capacity to meet these
expectations
are given feedback on their performance
YWCA Stellar Staffing 4
“Maintaining an effective culture is so
important that it, in fact, trumps even
strategy.”
Culture. It’s probably a word you hear often
if you follow blogs on entrepreneurship or
read articles on business and management.
But what is it exactly?
“Culture guides discretionary behavior and it
picks up where the employee handbook leaves
off. Culture tells us how to respond to an
unprecedented service request. It tells us
whether to risk telling our bosses about our
new ideas, and whether to surface or hide
problems. Employees make hundreds of
decisions on their own every day, and culture
is our guide. Culture tells us what to do when
the CEO isn’t in the room, which is of course
most of the time.”
Universally, culture is about employees and
making sure they have a stimulating and
productive working environment.
Why Should You Care about Culture?
The workplace should not be something that
people dread every day. Employees should
look forward to going to their jobs. In fact,
they should have a hard time leaving because
they enjoy the challenges, their co-workers,
and the atmosphere. Jobs shouldn’t provoke
stress in employees. While the work may be
difficult, the culture shouldn’t add to the stress
of the work. On the contrary, the culture
should be designed to alleviate work related
stress.
This is why culture matters. Culture sustains
employee enthusiasm.
You want happy employees because
happiness means more productivity. And
when a business is more productive, that
means it is working faster; and when it works
faster, it can get a leg up. So it’s worth the
investment for organizations to build and
nourish their culture.
Culture is also a recruiting tool. If you’re
looking to hire talented people, it doesn’t
make sense to fill your office with cubicles
and limit employee freedom. You’ll attract
mediocre employees, and you’ll be a
mediocre organization. If, on the other hand,
you have an open working environment with
lots of transparency and employee freedom,
you’ll attract talent. From the minute people
walk in the office, they should know that this
is a different place with a unique culture.
With a focus is on culture comes guiding
principles that employees live by. It helps get
everyone get through difficult times and helps
to get all employees to keep the mission front
and center. It is the glue that keeps the
organization together.
An organizational culture that facilitates
employee happiness means lower turnover
and better performance. Employees are loyal
and perform better. It’s a win-win.
As employee searches take place the culture
becomes a self-selecting mechanism for
candidates. The people who would fit into the
culture become attracted to it and may end up
with a job. For example, at Amazon, they look
for inventors and pioneers. People who want
to work there know this and are attracted by it.
Now, let’s get into the elements that make
great company culture…
1. Hiring People Who Fit Your Culture
Tech Journalist Robert Scoble meets with a
lot of CEOs. And when talking about hiring
decisions, they always try to make sure
they don’t hire jerks. It is for this reason that
many organizations have a rigorous hiring
process. Some like to bring job candidates in
to work with staff already on board for a
week. They give the candidates a project and
see how they work and how they work with
others.
4 Elements of a Great Organizational Culture
Adapted from articles by Howard Stevenson, Frances Frei and Anne Morriss, Harvard Business School and Harvard Business Review
YWCA Stellar Staffing 5
In a post on Harvard Business Review, Eric
Sinoway breaks down types of employees and
how they impact company culture. High
performing employees who don’t fit into the
culture are known as vampires. These
vampires must be terminated because, while
performance is solid, their attitude is
detrimental to the culture, which is
detrimental to service delivery and impact.
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, one of the strongest
advocates of culture, makes a great
point when he notes that the people you hire
represent your organization even outside of
work. If you meet someone and they tell you
where they work, your perception of that
place will change based on your opinion of
the person. If they’re nice, you’ll view the
company in a positive light. If they’re a jerk,
the organization won’t be viewed favorably.
This effect can be even greater when it is an
organization you’ve never heard of and didn’t
previously have any opinion of. If the person
is helpful, you’ll view the organization as
helpful. This is why it’s important to hire
people who share the organization’s values.
One bad hire can affect an entire department
and possibly dozens of stakeholders. And it
can happen quickly, acting like a virus that
spreads. Employees talk about the bad hire
and if action isn’t taken, spirit and
productivity begin to deteriorate.
But the good thing is that any damage can be
reversed. And more than that, values can be
reinforced at the same time. If a toxic
employee (the vampire) is released it shows
other employees that they are appreciated and
that leaders are serious about the culture.
2. Having Employees Know the Values and
the Mission of the Organization
There’s a question that often gets asked in job
interviews:
Why do you want to work here?
The purpose of the question is to provide the
interviewer with a sense of what the
interviewee knows about the organization.
When an interviewee can provide a specific
reason for why they want to join a particular
organization, it shows the interviewer they’ve
done research and may be a fit for the
position.
Of course, an interview will show only so
much. A person can be whoever they want to
be for 30-60 minutes. The only real way to
know if someone is on board with the values
and mission of an organization is to watch
them work for a period of time. Do they
follow the same values in their personal life?
This is why getting to know serious job
candidates well matters.
When employees are passionate about the
values and mission (like organizing the
world’s information at Google), they are
dedicated to accomplishing the goal.
In a video on Facebook’s Careers page, Mark
Zuckerberg says:
“The reason why we’ve built a company is
because I think a company is by far the best
way to get the best people together and align
their incentives around doing something
great.”
At Facebook, it’s about making the world
more open and connected. This drives the
employees, guides products, and energizes the
entire company. If an employee isn’t
committed to the mission, it just becomes
another job. And when it’s seen as just
another job it usually means the employee
isn’t happy.
On the other hand, when the employee is on
board with the mission, they’re engaged in the
job and want to help the mission succeed, thus
helping the organization succeed.
3. Knowing That Good Decisions Can
Come from Anywhere
No one has all the answers. A organization
where only management makes decisions is a
surefire way to send A and B
players elsewhere.
As some organizations get bigger, they tend to
limit employee freedom. The employees are
less and less involved in key decisions, their
impact on the business is drowned out, and
‘hierarchical’ becomes a part of the culture.
Employees go to work, do what they’re told
vs. making innovative contributions.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 6
In these cases, the worker’s impact is minimal
and they become “just another employee at
just another organization.”
But this is not what the best employees want.
They want to have a voice and a meaningful
impact on the organization and its direction.
They know that anyone can influence the
most senior person, they also know they can
create useful tools for the organization
without the need for management approval all
along the way.
For instance, the Google News tool was
created by a research scientist at Google
named Krishna Bharat. Creating Google News
wasn’t something that came from a
management meeting and descended. Bharat
invented it after the September 11 attacks
because he saw that it would be useful to see
news reports from multiple sources on a given
topic assembled in one place. It came from a
problem that he was experiencing and figured
he would share his thoughts with others -- he
wasn’t instructed to create it.
Organizations have greater success when
employees are given this type of freedom that
isn’t ruled by a hierarchy, assuming they’re
talented employees who fit the culture.
Knowing that good decisions can come from
anywhere and expanding employee freedom
are cornerstones of attracting talented
individuals.
4. Realizing You’re a Team and Not a
Bunch of Individuals
Ever notice how many CEOs refer to their
employees as a “team”?
On Instagram’s jobs page, they refer to
themselves as a team, not a company.
The difference between being a team and just
a bunch of individuals is that the individuals
see themselves as separate from each other.
Helping others is forced because you normally
operate on your own projects, or your own
part in a larger project.
Teams work together on all work related
projects and help where necessary. It doesn’t
matter who gets credit for what because you
accomplish everything together. You’re knit
together, not separated.
If you watch sports, you see how teams
function. They work together (in the form of
passes and assists), encourage each other, and
communicate regularly (communication on
the sidelines when they’re not playing). There
are always a few who get accused of putting
themselves before the team, known as a ball
hog in basketball. This is because they “hog”
the ball and don’t involve any of their
teammates in the offense. This impairs the
offense which cannot work at 100% because
not all 5 players are fully involved.
These people are usually dealt with
appropriately at the direction of the head
coach. They usually see decreased playing
time or are cut from the team. Teams work
best when everyone is on board, feeding off
each other, and playing together. If you have a
bunch of individuals, or ball hogs, they’ll
break down from conflicts, become
ineffective, and then irrelevant. Teams are the
best and most efficient way to get things
done.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 7
LEADERSHIP
Leadership Competency Model
For further info on each quality go to: http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/leader_model/CompModel/EDUMAIN.htm
ORIENTATION TO LEARNING SELF INSIGHT WORK HABITS WORK ATTITUDES STRESS MANAGEMENT
CREATIVITY ENTERPRISING FORECASTING MANAGING CHANGE INTEGRATING PERSPECTIVES
COMMUNICATING DEVELOPING OTHERS INFLUENCING MOTIVATING OTHERS INTERPERSONAL AWARENESS
Innovation
SOLVING PROBLEMS ENHANCING PERFORMANCE EXECUTING TASKS MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGING INFORMATION AND MATERIALS MAINTAINING SAFETY
Leading Others
Self Management
ACTING WITH INTEGRITY CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY ETHICAL PROCESSES LEADING OTHERS ETHICALLY SOCIAL KNOWLEDGE
Task Management
Social
Responsibility
YWCA Stellar Staffing 9
YWCA Staff Recruitment and Selection -- At a Glance
YWCAs need staff members who understand – and even thrive on – the challenges they will face in providing top-notch services and programs and in
serving as a catalyst for social change. As a result, job vacancies must be filled
through a process that ensures the selection of the right people at the right time.
Steps Considerations
1. Evaluate the vacancy
and current needs
Determine if any of the work of this position can be reallocated and consider
whether recruitment of a new and full time person is needed.
Confirm/establish what knowledge and skills are needed to forward the YWCA
mission as well as the day to day objectives of the position.
2. Develop/update the job
description and
minimum requirements
Base on the outcomes of the above processes and include candidate
specifications, and targets, e.g., salary range, minimum qualifications, days/hours
of work.
Note the average number of hours per week the person should aim to allocate to
each objective in the job description.
See the sample job descriptions resource, also in the YWCA Online Resource
Library.
3. Ready the application
for distribution
Using an application can provide legal protection in the hiring process, ensure
that all needed information is submitted, facilitates screening candidates and
guides the interview and selection process.
See a recommendations about applications and sample in the appendix starting on
page 48.
4. Advertise
Think of recruitment as an ongoing process, not just when there is an opening
Follow the organization’s policies re: advertising openings internally before
externally.
Encourage applications from all candidates by placing ads online, at job centers
and in publications that reach members of ethnic and cultural groups that
currently may be underrepresented among staff.
Include an EEO statement and avoid using language that might imply the search
is for someone of a certain age or type.
See more about advertisements in the “Tips and Tools” that follow.
5. Process and respond to
applicants.
6. Create a shortlist and
set up the interview
schedule
Scan each application, looking for the essential requirements, skills and
knowledge that mark an ideal candidate.
Note educational courses of study, unexplained gaps in employment, mistakes
and attention to detail.
Sort by Unsuitable Applicants, Applicants to Interview, and Applicants who May
be Suitable, recording reasons for candidates placed in the ‘Unsuitable’ or ‘May
be Suitable’ piles. Retain this information for at least six months.
Process all applications in the same way. Ideally more than one person should be
involved in the sifting process.
See sample flow chart in the “Tips and Tools” that follow and samples of an
application evaluation form and candidate correspondence in the appendix
starting on page 44.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 10
Content for this section was adapted from resources compiled by the Centre for Charity Effectiveness, Cass Business School, City University, London
7. Conduct the interview
process
8. Check references
Interview questions need to be legal, the same for all candidates and specifically
match the job’s requirements.
Record reasons for candidates being moved after an interview to the ‘Unsuitable’
or ‘May be Suitable’ category and retain this information for at least 18 months.
Many take the time to personally phone finalists who reached the “semi-finalist”
or “finalist” stage but were not selected for the position.
Justify the salary and benefit package, being sure that it reflects the true scope of
the position’s responsibility - which is often different than what market conditions
are for positions usually held by females.
Offer employment subject to passing a background check and any other relevant
checks the organization needs to make.
Don’t be tempted to offer the position to a candidate that is not suitable. It may
seem like the best thing to do in a desperate situation, but it will only waste
valuable time and money in the long run.
See more about interviewing in the “Tips and Tools” that follow and samples of
interview questions, interviewee correspondence and a letter of employment in the
appendix, starting on page 54.
9. Select the most fitting
candidate
10. Make/negotiate the job
offer and set the start
date
Record evidence that shows that the best candidate for the position was chosen
based on qualifications
Record evidence that shows that the candidate understands and will carry forward
the YWCA mission
11. Ensure that the
employment
relationship gets off to a
good start
Many organizations spend a lot of time and money finding the right person for the
role, only to fall at the last hurdle. Avoid having a new recruit arrive full of
enthusiasm on their first day and find that there is nobody to show them where to
go or what to do.
Set an orientation schedule, including times to walk through the staff handbook,
organizational chart, for a tour and for meeting lunch dates with several other
staff, appropriate community leaders, and other service providers.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 11
Application packets evaluated
Not appropriate for further consideration
Not appropriate for
further consideration Becomes appropriate for further
consideration
Selected for further consideration
Not selected for further
consideration
Application Packets Received
Selected for interview,
interview conducted
Not selected for further consideration
Selected for further
consideration
2nd interview conducted
Additional background/ reference check
If selected for the position, presented for final decision/ approval if/as need be
Worthy of Further Consideration
Packet filed, correspondence to applicant
Strong enough to merit a preliminary phone interview
Conduct preliminary phone
interview
Recruitment Tips and Tools:
Sample YWCA Application Flow Chart
Keep in “maybe” pile
Compensation/job detail agreements secured, start-up paper work completed. Employment and performance support and review process begins.
Packet filed
Packet filed, correspondence to applicant
Application Packet Posted
YWCA Stellar Staffing 12
Aim at selling not only the job but also the
YWCA to potential applicants
AIDA
AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire
and Action. When writing a job
advertisement, understand that the goal is to
attract talented and qualified candidates for
the job opening. This may seem obvious but
many job postings do everything they can to
scare away candidates. AIDA helps attract
qualified applicants by grabbing their
attention, sparking their interest, creating
desire and generating action.
-Attention
The role of a job title and lead paragraph is to
grab the job seeker's attention. Exciting job
opportunities attract candidates to click on
your job advertisement to learn more about
your organization.
-Interest
In this section interest is built in the job
opportunity and the organization. Describe
the details of the mission, the position, and
the job requirements.
-Desire (may be on the job info fact sheet vs.
the ad)
This section is to build a desire to work for
the organization by listing the position’s
direct benefits and how being part of the
organization will improve the job seeker's
life.
-Action
The last section of the job ad is the call to
action. This is where the job seeker gets
motivated to apply.
Other Tips
Use short sentences and simple
language. Job ads are not the place
to show off vocabulary or technical
knowledge. Keep it simple.
Write the job posting as if you were
writing a letter to your best friend. Keep
it warm and friendly. This will make the
organization appear to be a friendly
place to work. Job seekers don't respond
well to job ads that are cold and
corporate.
Posting Sites and Strategies -- Outreach
activities and posting outlets include the
following:
Internal postings: Post the job
announcement internally to ensure any
eligible staff are advised of the opening.
Check personnel policies for the
approved process.
Word of mouth: Share the opening
with professional and community
associates and friends – emphasize
candidate requirements to ensure
appropriate expressions of interest.
Letters: Announce and forward the job
opening via well-crafted letters from the
board president or search committee chair
to local vendors, funders, corporate
sponsors, professional networks, retired
professional organizations, chambers of
commerce, local colleges and universities,
and nonprofit support/partner
organizations (e.g., Association of Non
Profit Organizations/Non Profit Centers)
Niche websites and social media sites
e.g., listservs, forums, news and
discussion group threads, Facebook,
LinkedIn and other high traffic social
media sites.
Out-placement organizations
Trade associations
State Labor Offices
College Placement Offices
YWCA Community Postings -
national and local websites;
YWCAUSA.org employment page;
your own website (make sure to post
the link for further information on
your home page)
Recruitment Tips and Tools:
Writing and Posting Job Advertisements That Attract Top Talent
YWCA Stellar Staffing 13
Other Outlets - Cost varies by venue and
scope
Print: Traditional print outlets such
as newspapers often offer a package
that includes both print and internet
postings. Ask your account rep to help
identify the right placement.
Categories vary but may include
nonprofit, human services,
professional, social services, etc.
Consider a variety of formats; boxed
ads, bold words or sections, a photo,
corporate identity, etc.
Internet: There are numerous sites
where job openings can be posted.
The scope, format, and cost of the
announcement varies by site. Some
sites are free, others charge fees.
Depending on the demographics of your
recruitment area, your pool of applicants will
be more or less diverse with regard to
race/ethnicity/cultural groups. A diverse
applicant pool can often be encouraged with
these strategies:
Create materials and web site pages
that show the presence and
importance of diversity throughout
the organization. Include statements
about the association’s commitment
to equal employment opportunity on
all advertisements and web sites.
Link this commitment to the mission
and work of the YWCA.
Request names of potential
applicants from colleagues who are
members of minority populations
within your association (staff, board,
members)
Contact relevant professional
organizations, civic associations,
social sororities, and agencies that
have a job referral service.
Use a personal approach in
recruiting candidates. Phone
promising candidates and encourage
them to apply
Use recruitment sites like
IMDiversity.com,
HireDiversity.com and
DiversityInc.com. Employers on
these sites provide a narrative profile
which gives job seekers an
opportunity to learn more about
diversity-aimed employers.
As the job announcement or ad is being
created, check to see that the following is
also included:
what makes the position unique or
exciting, how the ideal candidate will
make a difference for the organization
and constituents,
what’s in it for the successful
candidate – to grow, to establish, to
build, to collaborate with. Etc.
The job advertisement is just that—
advertising with specific instructions about
responding. The job is the organization’s
offering; readers are the potential
customers. An effective advertisement will
attract attention, relay critical information
about the job, create a desire to pursue
what looks like a great opportunity, and be
clear about how to respond.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 14
For the Job Ad
YWCA name, logo, location and job title
qualifications and experience required - “ideal candidate” profile
response and application instructions, deadline
contact information for questions
website address
equal employment opportunity statement
Supplementary Fact Sheet - post online on the YWCA’s website along with a copy
of the job ad and application.
YWCA mission and succinct description of the organization and its position in the community
Expectations in terms of physical effort and travel
Salary range - List the salary in terms of a range, e.g., mid-50’s; mid 70’s; mid 90’s and state that the salary will be commensurate with the selected candidate’s
background and experience.
Surveys consistently highlight salary as one of the most requested information in
a job ad as it helps jobseekers to determine quickly whether they need to read through the ad details, or to move onto the next possibility. Jobseekers like to compare their current salary to those displayed in job ads and that can be a powerful incentive! When listing a salary range make sure you don't
cast too wide a net. If possible keep the range tight, $25,000 to $32,000 rather
than $25,000 to $50,000.)
Benefits
Recruitment Tips and Tools:
Job Announcement Checklists
YWCA Stellar Staffing 15
On Letterhead
YWCA _________________
YWCA ______________, a dynamic organization dedicated to eliminating racism,
empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all seeks a skilled __________________________ to forward the mission through service in the
position of ____________________________. The YWCA is
______________________’s premier provider of community services, including:
______________________________......., The successful candidate must have a passion for the YWCA mission, strong
leadership skills and first-hand experience related to the goals inherent in our mission. In addition, the successful candidate must have experience
……______________________________________________________________.
The YWCA is an equal opportunity employer and strategically encourages a diverse workforce.
The application for this opening is accessible online at _____________. Completed
applications must be accompanied by a cover letter introducing yourself and describing your first-hand experience relevant to the YWCA and this position. Application
packets must be emailed to ________________ and received by ___________. All
inquiries will be kept confidential.
For more information about the YWCA and more about this position please
visit:________________/employment as well as www.ywca.org.
Recruitment Tips and Tools:
Job Posting Example
YWCA Stellar Staffing 17
Hold Fair, Legal Job Interviews
During the interview process organizational
leaders seek evidence of the skills and
knowledge required to achieve the outcomes
listed in the job description. The job interview
is key to assessing the candidate's cultural fit
as well as h/her abilities to perform in ways
that will build strengths among those that will
be served as well as the overall organization.
A commonly successful way of accomplishing
these goals is by asking open ended
and competency-based interview questions.
Don’t forget, questions must meet legal
requirements and specifically relate to the
requirements of the particular job.
Selecting Candidates to Interview
The screening of each candidate's cover letter,
application and resume will identify the
strongest, “Candidates to Interview” group.
Next usually follows a short telephone
interview to confirm that the candidate's stated
qualifications and experience are congruent
with the position and organization. The
telephone job interview saves managerial time
and eliminates candidates who “look good on
paper,” but don’t have the depth of skills or
experience needed. See sample telephone
screening questions and correspondence
templates in the appendix, starting on page 54.
Preparing for the Job Interview
The interviewer/interview team can be guided
by the list of qualities, skills, knowledge, and
experience developed for the resume screening
process to develop questions that will
illuminate the candidate’s strengths and
weaknesses and determine job fit. Interviews
should follow a standard format and employ a
standard assessment form.
During the job interview it is good to help
the candidate demonstrate his or her best
knowledge, skills, and experience. Starting
with a bit of small talk and asking a few easy
questions helps candidates feel relaxed.
Competency question interviews help identify
candidates who have the knowledge, traits and
characteristics ideal for the position.
Additionally, these questions lead to
pinpointing specific instances in which the
candidate used his/her experience in a ‘real
time’ situation.
In addition to the candidate's verbal responses
during the job interview, notice the nonverbal
interactions as well. Finish the interview by
inviting the candidate to ask questions about
the organization or the position and by giving
them any additional important information.
In most cases employers conduct two or more
rounds of interviews. This is particularly
useful when deciding between two or three
candidates that may be suitable for the
position.
It can be useful to have different members of
staff conducting successive interviews to get
different perspectives.
Once the interviewers have rated and
discussed the candidates’ responses and
considered the team fit a decision regarding
whether to move the candidate forward in the
process can be made. Once this decision has
been made, all interview candidates should be
contacted to inform them of their status.
Recruitment Tips and Tools
How to Interview Candidates
YWCA Stellar Staffing 18
Once the interviews have been completed,
those involved usually meet to discuss their
impressions and assess the extent to which
each candidate met the selection criteria.
Interviewer(s) in the know remember that
recommendations need to be justified and
documented.
Reference Checks
Reference checks should be conducted for the
final applicant prior to making an offer. Often
reference checks on all finalists are conducted
before the last round of interviews. Before
beginning the reference check process:
a. Prepare carefully
Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the
information each the applicant has
provided, including the application,
resume, work sample (if applicable) and
interview responses.
Identify areas that require elaboration or
verification.
Set up telephone appointments with the
references to be contacted.
Many employers are prohibited from
providing information without a release,
so if requested, send the signed Release
and consent portion of the application in
advance of your telephone call.
Write down questions before the call,
highlighting the information needing
verification.
b. Set up an environment that encourages
the reference to respond willingly,
cooperatively, and honestly.
Begin your conversation on common
ground by referring to information that
has already been provided by the
applicant. For example:” John Doe has
asked us to speak with you regarding
information he has already shared with
us during the interview process.” Or “I'm
calling to verify information provided by
Mary Roe.”
c. Describe the position
Briefly describe the key responsibilities
and of the position being considered.
Ask, “Given our requirements, what is
your assessment of _________’s
qualifications for the job?”
d. In addition to your prepared questions,
ask follow-up questions
If you hear, “She's great!,” follow up with
specific questions: “What did she do to merit
that compliment?, “Why did she leave?,”
“Have things changed since she left?”
If the reference provider declines to answer a
question, ask if someone else could to share the
information being sought.
e. Take care with the questions and internet searches
Ask questions that are specifically job-related
There are legal ramifications if you ask
illegal/inappropriate questions that have to do
with race, color, national origin, religion,
gender, physical/mental disability or condition,
ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation,
citizenship, or status as a covered veteran.
Ask the same basic questions of references for
all applicants to ensure consistency and weigh
information you receive in the same manner
for all applicants.
Be sure to follow the organization’s policies
and legal restrictions covering the use of social
network tools such as Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn as a part of the candidate selection
process or for background checks.
Hiring Prerequisites
Depending upon the nature of the position,
additional hiring prerequisites may be required. Any
costs associated with these prerequisites are the
responsibility of the employer. Once the winning
candidate has been identified, the final processing
begins, including a background check, verification
of education credentials, and verification of
employment history. Be sure to check with an
attorney before requiring a pre-employment physical
or other examination or credit check.
Recruitment Tips and Tools
Making the Selection
Adapted from Northwestern University’s Human Resource Guidelines
YWCA Stellar Staffing 19
Finalize Recruitment
Upon completion of the recruitment process
the offer to the selected finalist is made. The
salary to be offered needs to be equitable,
internally and externally, reflect the YWCA’s
goal of women’s economic empowerment and
lead to the retention and motivation of the
organization’s best employees.
Prior to initiating the offer, it is recommended
that one more check of the selection process be
completed:
Review the duties and responsibilities of
the position and ensure they were
accurately described and reflected in the
job description and interview process
Review the selection criteria used and
ensure it is based on the qualifications
listed for the position
Confirm that interview questions matched
the selection criteria
Confirm that all applicants were treated
uniformly in the recruitment, screening,
interviewing and final selection process
Initiating the Offer
Once a check of the selection process is
completed and the applicant-of-choice has
been determined the supervisor or designee
makes the position offer A verbal offer of
employment and the finalist’s verbal
acceptance creates an agreement, therefore,
ensure the offer has been approved as need
be prior to verbally offering the position.
Negotiating the Offer
Whenever possible, it is recommended the
best offer be made the first time as this
displays proper market and internal equity
practices and demonstrates good faith to
the applicant. As salary requirements
would have been identified earlier on in
the recruitment process, there should be a
good understanding of the applicant’s
requirements and whether you are able to
work with those requirements.
When offering the finalist the position, be
sure to discuss the total compensation
package such as paid time off and
retirement benefits.
Be excited and enthusiastic about the offer and
let the candidate know you are excited about
them joining the team. The YWCA Retirement
Plan is a selling point for the long term and in
many cases can be a key factor when a
candidate decides to accept or decline the
offer.
Lastly, discuss the learning and development
opportunities which will available to the
recruit to help achieve their professional goals.
Many individuals value this just as much, in
some cases more, than the base salary being
offered.
Countering the Offer
Despite your best offer, there may be instances
where the applicant declines
Discuss the reasons for the decline with the
applicant, and determine if there is an
acceptable way to close any gap that exists.
If an offer is declined due to salary, a counter
offer may be made provided the amount is
within the budget allowance and is appropriate
guidelines for the position.
Finalizing the Offer
It is important that each recruitment be properly
closed. This process includes notification of those
interviewed and not selected as well as preparing
documentation associated with the recruitment for
proper storage.
Once an offer has been accepted, the supervisor
or designee arranges for a letter of employment
to be sent with a return date for a signed copy.
Individuals interviewed and not selected are sent
a letter, which may be preceded by a phone call
depending on how far in the interview process
they moved. If contact is made by phone, ensure
that the conversation is documented and that
reasoning about the selection is kept to a general
statement, e.g., “the chosen candidate is the one
with the best capacity and potential to meet the
organization’s needs and plans.”
Human resources staff ensure all recruitment
related documents are collected and properly
stored.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 20
Onboarding - At a Glance
Once the new employee has been hired the organization needs to ensure that h/she knows
what to do, how to do it to match the YWCA’s culture, policies and procedures and
where. A formal and well-developed new employee orientation program not only
impacts the new staff member but also the organization as a whole – directly in terms of
productivity and retention and indirectly in terms of employee satisfaction and the
organization’s culture. Orientation for new staff members also serves as the first step
toward employee retention. These efforts, well planned and delivered, can provide
significant return on investment and contribute to both dollars gained and dollars saved.
Steps Considerations
1. Provide new staff
members with the
information and
experiences that will
help them to perform
effectively
Compile a series of ‘one pagers’ covering essentials about the YWCA’s
mission, history and plans going forward – see content list in the “Tips and
Tools” that follow and in the Mission Vitality section of the Resource
Library. Once reviewed, these pages can be added to the staff handbook.
Present the YWCA USA orientation series (DVD and Powerpoint
presentations are available in the Mission Vitality section of the Resource
Library)
Review the staff handbook/personnel policies, highlighting cultural,
behavioral, interaction, and dress and appearance expectations.
Schedule an information session about and registration for benefits that come with
the appointment.
Provide contacts for various questions or issues
Expand the orientation into a 120 day process by establishing at least one action a
day -e.g:, meeting with another staff member, calling on a supporter, finding out
more about YWCA USA and the World YWCA, having lunch with the CEO, etc.
2. Schedule orientation
session, required
trainings and meetings
with other staff and
volunteers whose work
has ties to the new
employee’s
program/administrative
area
Ensure that the YWCA orientation sessions can be conducted with the full
attention of staff member(s) and without interruption.
Ensure that all required trainings are scheduled and completed, e.g. many states
require sexual harassment training for new hires.
Schedule staff meet and greet gatherings and tours. Provide printed summaries of
major programs and services with major outcome aims of each
Ensure that the new staff member feels welcome and at ease.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 21
Payroll set-up, Personnel Policy/Staff Handbook Review
Information and policies particular to the department and position
Goals for h/her first months of employment
YWCA Mission, historical and current highlights of the local Association and the
YWCA USA, importance of YWCA USA affiliation, information about
relationships with other YWCAs and the World YWCA (information, presentations
and fact sheets covering YWCA USA for the orientation process is available in the
Staff Vitality and Mission Vitality sections of the Resource Library)
Access information and password for the ywca.org intranet
Local/regional YWCA and other nonprofit collaborations
Major program highlights at the local Association and how each program links to the
mission
Organizational chart with names of staff and short bios for leadership staff and other
staff in the particular department
Board of directors list and board interaction/communication guidelines
Strategic plan highlights
Most recent annual report and newsletter
Samples of constituent and fund appeal mailings
The year’s YWCA calendar including priority events that staff members are
expected to attend
Safety, emergency, problem reporting protocol and evacuation procedures
Media/public statement protocol
Supply of newly printed business cards
Onboarding Tips and Tools:
Welcome Packet and Presentation List
YWCA Stellar Staffing 22
Performance Appraisal and Planning -- At a Glance
Performance appraisal and planning should be:
Strategic – about broad issues and long-term goals.
Integrated – linking various aspects of the organization,
people management, individuals and teams.
Effective efforts incorporate:
Performance improvement - throughout the organization
for individual, team and organizational effectiveness
Ongoing development activities – fostering the growth of
knowledge, skills, and personal characteristics that
strengthen each staff member, program/administrative area,
and the organization as a whole.
Fostering productive and positive relationships among
staff peers, among organizational leaders, those served, and
the community.
Steps Considerations
1. Introductory period review
This is the time to confirm, extend the introductory period or
terminate an appointment depending on the accomplishment of
set goals by the new staff member.
2. Regular supervision/planning
meetings
Agree on learning and development activities to meet the needs
of the position (identified during appraisal, one-to-ones etc.).
Incorporate a basic skills audit
Remember that everyone has a different learning style which
affects how they learn
Encourage development activities that can be accessed in house
as well as externally - including working with others, work
shadowing, e-learning, reading material, watching DVDs etc.
3. Regular appraisal reviews
There should be no surprises; deal with performance issues at
the time rather than raising them for the first time at the annual
appraisal review.
Both parties should prepare before the review meeting, assess
performance, and prepare evidence and examples to support the
assessment.
Managers should consider what is coming up that will impact
the employee’s role, activities and development needs.
The person being reviewed should be encouraged to speak as
much as possible.
The appraisal review should be documented with results agreed
between the parties, kept confidential and referred to during the
year at one-to-one supervision meetings.
4. Ongoing learning and development
plans
Development opportunities serve as a foundation for retaining
high-performing staff members.
Performance enhancement efforts can provide crucial insight
into the drivers of performance and staff potential.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 23
Performance Enhancement: At its best, performance enhancement is a tool to ensure that
managers manage effectively. A solid and consistent program helps staff members to:
know and understand what is expected of them
grow their skills and abilities to deliver on these expectations
know that they are supported by the organization as they develop the capacity to
meet growing expectations
understand feedback on their performance
discuss and contribute to individual, team, and organizational aims and objectives.
Performance enhancement is about establishing a culture in which individuals and groups
take responsibility for the continuous improvement of organizational processes and of their
own skills, interactions and contributions. Managers can clarify what they expect individuals
and teams to do. Likewise individuals and teams can communicate expectations of how they
should be managed and what they need to do their jobs.
It follows that performance enhancement is about maintaining and improving the quality of
relationships – between managers and individuals, between managers and teams, and
between members of teams. Therefore it is a joint process. It is also about planning through
defining expectations and about measurement.
In the words of the old dictums, “If it doesn’t get measured, it doesn’t get done,” and “If you
can’t measure it, you can’t enhance it,” performance enhancement programs should apply to
all employees, not just managers, and to teams as well as individuals. It is a continuous
process, not a one-off event. Last but not least, the process is holistic and should be infused
in every aspect of the organization.
Performance Appraisal: Several staff performance review processes and form samples are
included the Staff Vitality section of the YWCA Online Resource Library. Generally,
questions in an appraisal are designed to provide information about:
Performance on previously agreed goals
What has had an impact on the achievement of the goals
Whether the job description accurately reflects the individual’s current role
What the performance and growth objectives should be for the next 6–12 months,
What learning and development priorities should be and how and how these needs
should be met
Performance Appraisal Planning Tips and Tools:
Performance Enhancement -- Performance Appraisal
YWCA Stellar Staffing 24
Performance Categories:
Roots, Branches, Shoots and Leaves
People working within organizations can
often be divided into four categories
depending on their skills, knowledge,
interactions, intellectual ability and potential:
Roots are the firm foundation of any
organization. These are people that are
very good at the job they do and who
want to stay in the same position for the
foreseeable future.
Branches: people who are eager to
develop and grow.
Shoots: high-performing people who are
eager to develop and grow.
Leaves: people who are not performing
as well as expected in their current role.
Roots: These staff members are happy to
stay in their current roles, steadily carry out
their assignments and perform to the desired
level of performance for the foreseeable
future. Do note, however, that they may
show little ambition to move on or elevate
their responsibilities.
In the 'roots, branches, shoots and leaves'
approach, people in the roots category form
the firm foundations of the organization.
These are the people the organization can
rely on as they are loyal, perform adequately,
and show little or no intention of moving on.
Motivating 'Roots' Staff
In cases where an employee is performing
well, the responsibilities of the position are
going to remain the same and the person
wants to stay in the same role, a manager
should support that decision and not force
development towards a promotion.
The above said, managers should not assume
that these employees do not want to develop
and learn new things within their role. When
organizational requirements change and call
for the expansion of responsibilities
associated with a position oftentimes a
“Roots” employee will be able to smoothly
transition to a new role.
Where an employee or the organization calls
for development in a particular role then a
professional development plan should be
designed and put into action.
It can be challenging if the organization
needs an employee to develop new skills,
knowledge or interactions and they are not
keen to do so. For hints and tips on how to
manage employees through change, see
“Managing Change” in the Tips and Tools
that follow.
Branches: staff ready for development
Branches staff are people who are eager to
develop and grow but don’t necessarily have
the skills, knowledge, interactions, abilities
and potential to move on at the present time.
Motivating 'Branches'
Employees identified as branches may feel
that the organization is holding them back
from what they want to do and so may feel
frustrated and become demotivated if not
managed properly.
With branches managers usually explain in a
clear and objective way how the employee’s
skills, knowledge and interactions can grow
toward those displayed by a 'shoot' (high
performer).
Next can be established how the employee
wants to progress in the organization and a
professional development plan formulated to
help them work towards acquiring the skills,
knowledge and interactions that they need to
move forward.
Coaching may be a particularly appropriate
way of helping branches develop the
knowledge and skills needed to move forward.
It is important that the manager remains
objective, fair and honest. It is in everyone’s
best interest to support “Branch” employees in
becoming the best they can be and using their
talents effectively and they should be given the
opportunity to develop and prove themselves.
But, setting unrealistic expectations will only
cause issues in the future.
Performance Appraisal and Planning Tips and Tools
Performance Levels and Enhancement Strategies
YWCA Stellar Staffing 25
Shoots: high-performing staff
“Shoots” are people who are ambitious,
talented and able to develop and grow. They
have continuing high potential and
employers need to motivate them so that
their talents will not be lost from the
organization.
Motivating 'Shoots'
Since “Shoots” are highly-motivated
individuals to begin with it is important to
discuss what they want to achieve, what the
organization hopes they will achieve, and to
establish common goals.
Next the employee and manager should
jointly formulate a motivating and
challenging plan to foster development
quickly and effectively in the desired
direction.
Coaching and mentoring can be particularly
useful ways of helping high performing
employees develop to their optimum level.
And, the organization may be wise to
consider a fast-track program for shoots, as
they are likely to be of great benefit to the
organization and may be impatient to move
on.
Leaves: staff who are underperforming
In the 'roots, branches, shoots and leaves'
approach people falling into the leaves
category are those who are not performing
well in their current role.
Motivating 'Leaves'
It is possible that with the right support the
employee's performance will improve.
Alternatively, the person may be more
successful in another role within the
organization or it may be better for the
employee and the organization if the
employee moves on to another organization.
For interactions with “Leaves” to address
capability, conduct or performance issues,
see the Performance Conference template,
also in the Staff Vitality Resources section of
the Resource Library and the Involuntary
Termination information in the Transitions
section below.
Allowing poor performance to continue
within an organization is not helpful to the
employee, the organization or other
employees. It is important for these issues to
be dealt with in a fair, honest and timely
manner. The longer poor performance is
allowed to continue, the more unsatisfactory
interactions are modeled.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 26
With the introduction of a change in the
supervisory structure, the need to lessen
hours per week for a position, or the
alleviation of a position comes the need to
manage peoples’ emotions and reactions.
Here are 10 tips to ease transitions.
Communicate the reason for the plans and
changes needed
Communication is always important, but it is
critical in a changing environment. Make
every effort to ensure that all employees
understand the hard choices that have
become necessary. Ask for their ideas and
input on plans that are still in draft form.
And, share with employees the need for all to
stay positive and maintain high morale while
acknowledging that it a tough process to
weather.
Establish an atmosphere and culture of
open communication.
Build upon the initial ways in which
information is shared with employees –
during normal and abnormal circumstances.
To sustain trust, communicate what is known
and, as uncomfortable as it may be,
communicate what is not known. Establish a
culture of open communication where people
feel free to speak up.
For large changes, establish a “Change
Team” of managers, involve this team in
strategic planning and develop them to be
change coaches who will provide the
inspiration and encouragement to the entire
staff. Make sure they understand that they
are the ones who will motivate the team
forward and that their job is to make sure the
entire team is aligned with the set strategy.
Introduce change gradually whenever
possible.
While there may not be the time to move
slowly for large changes, changing a
situation too quickly may create chaos for
the organization. It may be felt that people
are ready to respond to change, but they may
not be able to absorb the changes as quickly
as hoped. It takes time to assimilate new
information, learn new systems or
procedures, and to do things in a new and
different way.
Stay tuned in to difficulties some may be
experiencing.
Change affects each individual differently
and some people are more adaptable than
others. Many top performers will roll up their
sleeves to make things work and move out of
their comfort zone instantly. Others may be
completely overwhelmed. Let these staff
members know that the challenges they are
facing are understood and that there is
support to help them through it. Remember
the importance of access and open
communication, keeping doors open and
providing a comfortable environment where
people can air their concerns.
Manage resistance.
Human beings are basically creatures of
habit and like doing things the same way.
Doing things differently often takes them out
of their comfort zones and some may resist
and hold back their team and, consequently,
the organization. Talk to any person who
comes to work with a chip on his or her
shoulder. Ask the person who is making
negative remarks and pulling down morale to
refrain from doing so. Explain that everyone
is working hard to pull together and deliver
their best performance each day and that it is
in everyone’s best interest, as well as the
strength of the organization to move ahead
on the planned course. Ask what you can do
to help them.
Be a role model.
It is up to all leaders to build and sustain
employee morale through change. Set the
tone and be the example for others to follow.
During times of uncertainty and/or change
people watch how their leaders act so don’t
let your guard down when it comes to
attitude. When feelings are down or anxious
leaders need to be up and do their best to be
calm and carry on.
Performance Appraisal and Planning Tips and Tools
Managing Employment Changes
YWCA Stellar Staffing 27
Take the time to train.
To reduce the loss of productivity during
change, make sure staff have the necessary
skills to succeed. Make it a priority to
identify and activate whatever programs and
events are necessary to achieve the levels of
competence needed to support the changes
being implemented.
Alleviate job pressure wherever possible.
Meeting the demands placed upon people
during the change process requires managing
job pressures for all involved. The stress can
be reduced with efforts to maintain high
morale.
Keep eyes on the bottom lines – changing
lives for the better and growing financial
assets
Making hard choices, meeting challenges
head on, and adapting to change with new
ways of doing business is the only way to go.
Leaders can choose to be like the chameleon,
which can quickly adapt to a changing
environment. Or, they can choose to follow
the path of the once powerful Tyrannosaurus
Rex that became extinct because it could not
respond to a changing environment.
Putting it this way, the answer seems easy.
No one wants to be extinct.
Unfortunately, we sometimes (even
unknowingly) put up our own roadblocks to
success by waiting for things to turn around,
perhaps complaining loudly, and refusing to
take on the challenge. We feel that we
simply can’t adapt – but -- the nonprofit
environment has changed and it is business
not as usual. The need is to accept, plan, and
move forward.
Adapted from article by Christine Corelli printed for Associated Equipment Distributors. Article Date: 11-01-2009
YWCA Stellar Staffing 28
Development, Support and Retention - At a Glance
A recent survey presents that organizations satisfy their staff’s
needs for on-the-job development in general ways, with staff
reporting that they value these opportunities. But, staff also say
that they’re not getting much in the way of formal skill and/or
leadership development such as training, mentoring and
coaching – things they also value highly.
Ongoing development and succession management is essential
to the strength of all organizations. If talent is not managed
appropriately skills tend to be wasted and good people decide to
go elsewhere. This leaves the organization with low performers.
Development, support and retention efforts comprise a process
which contributes to the enhancement of individuals and teams
in order to achieve high levels of organizational performance as
well as high performance in a particular program or
administrative area.
Steps Considerations
1. Establish an ongoing knowledge and
skill development program
2. Secure resources needed to support
plans
Design plans for every staff member, not only supervisors and
managers
Design plans that provide opportunities for professional and
personal advancement
Ongoing learning and development plans lay the groundwork
for retaining high-performing staff members
Include training and education opportunities that address the
organization’s current and foreseen future leadership needs.
Proactively manage and review the processes
These processes are investments, not “unrecoverable” expenses
3. Strategically encourage retention for
high performing staff
The average cost of recruiting a new employee, even though
dubbed “soft costs,” runs thousands of dollars.
Ensure an empowering and motivating environment to retain
good employees, keep costs down.
Make sure talented, skilled and knowledgeable employees are
kept on the team.
Highly qualified people can usually find better jobs more easily
- aim to build loyalty
-aim to motivate and engage employees.
Also see a companion resource, “How to Keep Good People”
YWCA Stellar Staffing 29
Why is employee development a chronic problem, and why should it not be? Based
on management experiences, following are reasons why development planning is
often ignored… and reasons why that’s a costly mistake.
1) We tend to focus most on the here and now. So many organizations are in a
constant frenetic state of upheaval, reorganizations and trying to do more with
less. In this environment, managers naturally tend to be most focused on essential
day-to-day operations and less interested in longer-term activities perceived as
having less certain payback.
2) Some bureaucratic exercises are done but not acted upon. Too often a fair
amount of time is spent trying to fit employees into nearly incomprehensible
matrices with too many descriptive boxes: “Intergalactic Star,” Diamond Amid
Coal,” “Wolverine Tendencies,” “Wicked Lot of Problems” and so on –
acknowledged ‘fanciful’ categories. The problem is, exercises are confusing and
time-consuming so staff are satisfied just to complete them, and seldom do much
constructive with the data.
3) There’s just no time for it. There’s always time for important activities. If
development planning is a valuable managerial function, make it a priority and
carve out the minutes and hours for it.
And here is why development planning makes good business sense
1) People care if a genuine interest is taken in their future. Emphasis here is
on “genuine.” Development planning should be something a manager takes a real
personal interest in – not an HR-driven mandate.
2) It helps builds loyalty and loyalty increases productivity. The logical
corollary to point #1. Taking an honest interest in someone builds loyalty. Loyal
employees are more engaged. Engaged employees are more productive.
3) Good talented people naturally want to advance, and appreciate
meaningful support in the process. As a Harvard Business Review study
showed, capable ambitious young employees want training, mentoring and
coaching. They want to gain skills. They want to become more versatile and
valuable to an organization – and if one employer doesn’t provide access to
ongoing learning, enterprising employees will go elsewhere for it.
One final thought: Development planning doesn’t have to be elaborate or
costly. At its core it’s mostly a matter of good managers taking the person-to-
person time to understand their employees… recognizing their skills and needs…
and guiding them to fill in the gaps. If it’s done well, the payoff can be
substantial in terms of long-term loyalty. If it’s not, the costs can be substantial in
terms of long-term talent.
Adapted from an article by Victor
Lipman, written for Forbes Magazine
Development, Support and Retention Tips and Tools
Importance of Staff Development
YWCA Stellar Staffing 30
Stellar staffers are those individuals
who increase organizational performance
through their day to day contributions
and the longer-term by demonstrating the
highest levels of potential.
Stellar staff development is the
systematic attraction, identification,
development, engagement, retention and
deployment of those individuals who are
of particular value to an organization,
either in view of their ‘high potential’ for
the future or because they are fulfilling -
critical roles very well..
All supervisors and managers should enable
and provide training and development for
their people - training develops people, it
improves performance, raises morale;
training and developing people increases the
health and effectiveness of the organization,
and the productivity of the business
These interpretations underline the
importance of recognizing that it is not
sufficient simply to attract individuals with
high potential. Developing, managing and
retaining these individuals as part of a
planned strategy for talent is equally
important, as well as adopting systems to
measure the return on this investment.
The most effective way to develop people
is to enable learning and personal
development, (vs training and personal
development).
A key is to focus on enabling learning and
development for people as individuals -
which extends the range of development
way outside traditional work skills and
knowledge, and creates far more exciting,
liberating, motivational opportunities for
employees and for employers.
Rightly organizations are facing great
pressure to change these days and to
facilitate and encourage whole-person
development and fulfilment beyond
traditional training. The move is to what is
chiefly good for people.
The reason for this is that in terms of
learning and development, what's good for
people is good for the organizations in
which they work -- for organizational
performance, quality, customer satisfaction,
effective management and control, and
therefore overall strength.
Organizations which approach learning and
development from this standpoint inevitably
foster people who perform well and
progress, and, importantly, stay around for
long enough to become great at what they
do, and to help others become so.
Importantly, learning, to look at the process
from the trainee's view is anything that is a
stimulating and developmental experience.
Development isn't restricted to training - it's
anything that helps a person to grow, in
ability, skills, confidence, tolerance,
commitment, initiative, inter-personal skills,
understanding, self-control, and motivation
The attributes of really effective people, be
they leaders, managers, operators and
technicians are likely to be attitudinal.
Skills, knowledge, and the processes
available to people are no great advantage -
what makes people effective and valuable to
any organization is their attitude and
motivation to improve.
Attitude includes qualities that require
different training and learning methods as
attitude stems from a person's mind-set,
belief system, emotional maturity, self-
confidence, and experience. These are the
greatest training and development
challenges faced, and it may be more
effective to not put people in a classroom,
or deliver skills training in a conventional
manner which some may see as a chore.
Training and learning needs to extend far
beyond conventional classroom training
courses – and be highly interactive. Be
creative, innovative, and open-minded to
discover learning in virtually every new
experience offered.
.
Development, Support and Retention Tips and Tools
Knowledge and Skill Development Programs
YWCA Stellar Staffing 31
Being realistic, corporate attitudes and
expectations about what 'training' is and
does cannot be changed overnight, and most
organizations still see 'training' as being
limited to work skills, classrooms and
Powerpoint presentations. However, when
you start to imagine and think and talk about
progressive attitudes to developing people -
beyond traditional skills training - for
example:
enabling learning vs. teaching
interactive exercises and explorations
mentoring
distance learning
facilitating meaningful personal
development with a growth plan
helping people to identify and achieve
their own personal potential
Adapted from an article on Alan Chapman’s human
resources management webpage
YWCA Stellar Staffing 32
Keeping employees motivated and engaged
is the key to every organization’s success.
Unfortunately, there is no exact science to
motivating employees since different people
are motivated by different things at different
times.
One day you may leave a hard-working and
motivated employee in the office only to
return the following day to find someone
who is despondent and less than
enthusiastic about their work. This could be
related to a number of factors, such as
personal issues, interactions with
colleagues, personal or work-related
worries or concerns or feeling undervalued.
There are many factors affecting motivation
that managers have little or no control over.
However, good managers/leaders do their
best to keep their team motivated and
engaged – it is better for morale and for
productivity!
Motivational needs
Professor of psychology David McClelland
describes three types of motivational need:
achievement
authority and power
affiliation
Work structure and environment factors
Clinical psychologist Frederick Herzberg
developed the concept of motivators and
structural factors.
Motivators are things that cause us to feel
motivated. Structural factors do not make us
feel motivated or demotivated, they are just
there. However, if a structural factor is
missing an employee will feel demotivated.
Example of structural factors
One example is reasonable pay. This
doesn't necessarily mean a huge salary,
just a reasonable amount for someone to
live off. An employee receiving reasonable
pay will not feel motivated every time they
receive their pay, but if the pay is absent or
late they will become demotivated.
Other structural factors might include:
adequate space to work in
break periods
chairs and desks that conform to
health and safety standards
IT equipment that works properly.
temperature/airflow water, bathroom
facilities
safety, security, and comfort with the
behaviors of other staff
Asking about motivations
Good managers know what motivates and
what demotivates individuals they supervise
as a result of asking each person
individually what motivates them and what
demotivates them.
Why find out about motivations?
Understanding employee motivations
enables managers to understand how each
individual likes to be supervised/partnered
with. For example:
some employees like to be left alone to
work on their own initiative, while others
prefer more hands-on management
some individuals find criticism
motivational, but others will feel hurt and
demotivated if it isn’t delivered sensitively
one team member may be desperate for a
promotion or public recognition while
another team member may be very happy
to stay in the job that they are doing and
hate the idea of being praised publicly.
How to ask about motivations
Asking what motivates and what demotivates
individuals can be done on a one-to-one basis
or it can be done as a team exercise, perhaps
pairing up team members and getting them to
ask each other and then providing feedback.
Conversations with demotivated individuals
should always take place in private, of
course.
Development, Support and Retention Tips and Tools
Motivation and Engagement
YWCA Stellar Staffing 33
Employee Engagement
An engaged employee is one who shows
commitment and willingness to help out
beyond their normal job which leads to
better performance for the organization as a
whole.
Employers are interested in those
employees who will do their best work, or
‘go the extra mile’. Employees want
interesting work that they find absorbing
and enjoyable. When these factors combine
you have a win-win solution that meets the
needs of the business and the employees’
needs at the same time. This is called
employee engagement. Both sides have
everything to gain by it and will work hard
to maintain it.
Engagement goes beyond job satisfaction
and is not simply motivation. Engagement
is something the employee has to offer as it
cannot be ‘required’ as part of the
employment contract.
There is no list of what creates employee
engagement but research into employee
attitudes found that the main drivers of
employee engagement were:
having opportunities to feed views
upwards
feeling well-informed about what is
happening in the organization
believing that the people one works
with, especially the organization’s
leaders are committed to the
organization.
Perceived fairness by managers when
dealing with problems also has a marked
impact on individual performance, although
this does not seem to be directly related to
employee engagement.
Performance-based rewards
Rewards can play an important role in
motivating employees.
Victor Vroom of the Yale School of
Management produced a theory known
as Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. The theory
says that employees will be motivated to do
certain things when they perceive that a
certain reward will be forthcoming. In
essence, the motivation of the behavior
selection is determined by the desirability of
the outcome. However, at the core of the
theory is also a cognitive process of how an
individual processes the different
motivational elements. Expectancy theory is
about the mental processes regarding
choice, or choosing. It explains the
processes that an individual undergoes to
make choices. Effective leaders and
managers keep this in mind in their work
with staff.
Examples of performance-based rewards:
formal recognition
pay adjustment/promotion
time off
working on a special project/task
working with a particular
colleague/team
opportunity to travel (or not) for
business
assignment to another area to help with
a broader base of services
attending a course, seminar or
exhibition.
Flexibility
Employers should also consider how they
can improve flexibility to encourage loyalty
within the organization. People are more
likely to stay with an employer that
encourages work-life balance and that
values individual choices than move to an
organization that is less accommodating.
Some ideas include:
condensed working weeks, flexible
working hours, flexible working days
term-time working
job sharing
dog-friendly offices (depending on
allergies of others)
YWCA Stellar Staffing 34
study leave
unpaid (holiday) leave
time off in lieu / paid overtime
home working
sabbaticals
provision of gym, relaxation and quiet
facilities in the office
different and special assignment, even
if temporary
Building a loyal workforce
Studies consistently show that the number
one reason somewhat frustrated employees
leave is poor leadership and/or
management.
Conversely, studies also show that people
will often stay with an organization that
they don’t like if they have a manager that
they enjoy working for and feel loyal
towards.
Encouraging employee loyalty
To encourage loyalty amongst employees,
organizations should consider:
Leadership that provides clear vision,
goals and objectives and involves
people at all levels of the organization.
Involvement that includes employees
in the decision making processes.
Employees often have a valuable
perspective that is not obvious to
members of the management team.
Ethical, equitable and legal
treatment of employees: Evidence that
people are treated ethically, equitably
and legally. This includes taking a
zero-tolerance approach towards
managing bullying, harassment,
discrimination and dis-empowerment.
Affinity with organizational values:
Staff have similar values to those of the
organization and help ensure that those
values are core to everything that the
organization does.
Individuals and Individuality are
valued: Everyone has an opportunity to
make a meaningful contribution to the
organization and the organization
recognizes people for the contributions
that they make as individuals and as
teams.
Team: A sense of team pervades with
opportunities for social interaction
amongst staff.
Remuneration package is in line with
that offered by similar organizations for
similar positions.
Opportunity for growth and development
abound for each individual to develop as far
as they can (and want to) within the
organization.
by Jacqueline Johnson North for KnowHowNonprofits,org
YWCA Stellar Staffing 35
Motivating supervisors are risk takers who exude their unique personality
and by showing trust in those they supervise.
They also foster the independence of those they supervise and partner
with so on-the-job learning is more likely to take place.
Effective supervisors genuinely care, like, accept, and value those they
work with, demonstrating kindness, sharing responsibility, embracing
diversity, fostering individual instruction, and encouraging creativity.
The key to helping staff members develop positive attitudes is in the
environment – an environment where organizational leaders:
o Build and sustain an organizational culture around the ethic of care where they demonstrate caring and kindness and willingly
sharing their emotions and feelings e.g., enthusiasm, affection,
patience, sadness, reasoned disapproval as well as a sincere
interest and care about their peers and those they serve.
o Share Responsibility, opportunities for input and taking
control of situations wherever possible. This acknowledges
that the agendas of supervisors and the staff they supervise overlap and are in support of each other and fosters staff taking
responsibility for their own learning.
o Embrace Diversity, demonstrating an understanding and cultivating the engagement of peers and those served without
analyzing or judging self-confidence and with an obvious
appreciation of work and contributions that stem from a wide
range of backgrounds and experiences To these ends, staff will benefit from experiential diversity learning to best understand the
meaning and future implications of effectively working in
culturally heterogeneous – by design – organizations.
o Foster Individualized Development, capitalizing on the ability
to provide meaningful learning opportunities, and motivating
activities so that staff become active and independent agents of
their own learning. A mentor program can be especially helpful.
o Encourage Creativity, making visible the importance of
stimulating innovation throughout one’s department and/or the
whole organization. Highly encourage the contribution of wide range of ideas and insights.
Development, Support and Retention Tips and Tools
Helping Staff Members to Develop Positive Attitudes
YWCA Stellar Staffing 36
*DIF Analysis - Difficulty, Importance, Frequency is a method of assessing performance, prioritizing training needs and planning training, based on three perspectives: Difficulty, Importance, and Frequency. The system can be used in different ways, commonly entailing a flow diagram and process of assessing (scoring) each activity according to the three elements. At a simple level, an activity that scores low on all three scales is obviously low priority; whereas an activity that scores high on all three scales is a high priority.
Adapted from Alan Chapman’s human
resources management webpage
1. Assess and agree training
needs 2. Create training or
development
specifications
3. Consider learning
styles and personalities 4. Plan training and
evaluation
processes
5. Design materials,
and methods,
organize training
processes, and
evaluate
Conduct some sort of training needs analysis. Another method example of assessing and prioritizing training is DIF Analysis*. This commonly happens in the appraisal process. Involve the people in identifying and agreeing relevant aligned training. Consider organizational values and aspects of integrity, ethics, spirituality, compassion and skills. Look also at your recruitment processes - there is no point training people if they are not the right people to begin with. Knowing why people leave also helps identify development needs.
Having identified what you want to train and develop in people, you must break down the training or learning requirement into manageable elements. Attach standards or measures or parameters to each element. Information about the 360o review and planning process, a template and other performance appraisal models are available in the Staff Vitality section of the Resource Library. Revisit the skillset and training needs analyses - they can help organize and training elements assessment on a large scale.
People's learning styles greatly affect what type of training they will find easiest and most effective. Look also at personality types. Remember you are dealing with people, not objects. People have feelings as well as skills and knowledge. Common resources to draw from for individual and team development planning include: Erikson Model Johari Window Adair's Theory Myers Briggs Tuckman Model
(Google each for more information)
Incorporate before and after measurements to gauge training effectiveness. Helpful and “Google-able” models are: The Kirkpatrick
model for structure training design.
Bloom's theory to help ensure sought outcomes
Consider modern innovative methods and meaningful communication. Presentation is an important aspect to delivery. Ensure that best practices are applied for organizing meetings and workshops..
Development, Support and Retention Tips and Tools
Steps to Create a Comprehensive Staff Development Program
YWCA Stellar Staffing 37
Looking for new ways to improve your
financial health? A new study suggests it's
worth the time to pay as much attention to
employees as you do to the bottom lines of
financial and service outcomes.
A report from Hewitt Associates found
employee engagement. morale, confidence in
the organization, career opportunities, rewards
and recognition programs and trust in
leadership with their employers at its lowest
level in the 15 years the outsourcing firm has
studied the issue. "This highlights the growing
tension between employers — many of which
are struggling to stabilize their financial
situation — and employees, who are showing
fatigue in response to a lengthy period of
stress, uncertainty and confusion brought
about by the recession and their organization’s
actions," observed the study, which tracked
more than 900 companies globally.
But companies with high levels of
engagement (65 percent or greater)
outperformed the total stock market index and
posted shareholder returns 19 percent higher
than average. Still not convinced? Companies
with disinterested employees (40 percent or
less engagement) had a total shareholder
return that was 44 percent lower than average.
The results are transferable to the nonprofit
sector.
What can you do to improve employee
morale? Luckily, it's not all about the
compensation. Hewitt says companies that are
successful at upping the happy factor even in
the downturn have visible leaders and
"provided ongoing updates to reduce
employee uncertainty and stress." Four in five
companies (82 percent) that have improved
employees' happiness have created excitement
about the future of the organization.
The study also found that three-quarters of
companies with high levels of employee morale
conduct exit surveys to understand why
employees are leaving and identify potential
problems.
"Understanding what drives employee
behavior — in good times and in bad — is
critical to business success," said Ted
Marusarz, Hewitt's leader of global
engagement and culture. "All organizations
face similar pressures. Companies that are
successful at improving engagement in spite
of these pressures are the ones that create an
environment focused on key human capital
elements. They may make adjustments to their
engagement strategies, but they don't lose
sight of their overall goals."
Sue Romanos, the president of Career
Xchange, a staffing firm which has thrived in
the recession, says companies need to
remember to think about more than just
money when times are tough.
"It’s just as important to keep in mind you
have employees and they are your business,"
she told McClatchy. "The most important
asset is human capital. Strong organizations
know that."
Development, Support and Retention Tips and Tools
Why Happy Employees Are Good for Business
By Courtney Rubin for Inc.com
YWCA Stellar Staffing 38
With studies showing that the number one
reason high performing employees leave
organizations is poor leadership and/or
management, good performance by top
leaders is essential to organizational vitality.
When employers are performing at their best
employees are most likely to feel motivated,
engaged and confident and generate new
ideas that will benefit the organization and
the people it serves.
In order for employees to perform at their
best, organizations need to provide the
environment and structure in which
employees can thrive. A high-performing
workplace is an enjoyable place to work!
The following factors are important:
good leadership and management
trust, empowerment and motivation
visible throughout the organization
permission to make and learn from
mistakes
policies that are fair and ethical
support and encouragement to develop
congruence between one’s personal and
organizational values
“SMARTASS” objectives that encourage
high performance:
specific
measureable
achievable
relevant
time-bound
agreed
stimulating
stretching Effective performance management tools and
techniques
Performance management works best as an
integrated approach, incorporating the
following:
induction
initial performance review
one-to-one meetings
appraisals
continuing professional development
development tools and techniques
Development, Support and Retention Tips and Tools
High-performing Workplaces
From the Colorado Association of Nonprofits, links between talented staff and sustainability (self-reported by organizations surveyed):
The “Crafting Pathways” full report is available in the Staff Vitality section of the Resource Library.
Reported Status of Org. Reported Ability to Develop and Maintain Top Talent
YWCA Stellar Staffing 39
There are several measurements to use for demonstrating human resource
development achievements. Process outcomes can be logged and compared year-
to-year and include:
turnover rates (the number of people joining and leaving your organization)
exit interview feedback provided by employees who leave
employee satisfaction surveys (even small scale in-house surveys can be helpful)
reduction in sickness absence levels
growth in organizational capacity (for example, numbers of people employed, volunteers recruited, numbers of service users supported)
increased diversity amongst staff and volunteers
feedback from service users, funders, regulators etc.
the amount of learning and development within the organization e.g., type of activities and attendance records among employees (volunteers and board
members too).
Adapted from Cass Centre for Charity Effectiveness’ "Tools for Success: doing the right things and doing them right"
Development, Support and Retention Tips and Tools
Measuring Stellar Staffing Achievements
YWCA Stellar Staffing 40
Transition - At a Glance
In today’s world very few people expect to have a 'job for life' as they
might have done a couple of decades ago. While a certain amount of
employee turnover is good for an organization because it enables fresh
ideas and influences, too much staff turnover can be problematic and
expensive.
Sometimes the loss of a staff member is unavoidable. As staff develop their
skills and ambitions, some will migrate to job opportunities in other
organizations. In other situations, the loss could have been prevented, and
sometimes an employer is forced to remove an employee.
At the most basic level, transition management and succession planning are
an integral part of an organization’s human resource practices.
Steps Considerations
1. Develop Transition Plans Having plans in place for voluntary transitions, layoff situations and
involuntary transitions is recommended.
2. Develop Succession Plans Succession plans are recommended for all positions
YWCA Stellar Staffing 41
Employees leave their jobs voluntarily for a variety of reasons. These include new opportunities,
career change, further study, or personal reasons.
Once an employee has resigned there are some practical issues that need to be considered, starting
with a letter acknowledging the resignation, a plan for announcing the impending change and
content of the message, and an exit logistics plan that includes (also see transition template that
follows):
Details of final pay: when it will be paid and how
Details of annual leave: entitlement minus leave taken
Benefit arrangements
Return of organizational property
Deactivation of passwords and other access codes
Before a staff member’s departure, employers can take an opportunity to examine reasons for the
separation through an exit interview. Well executed exit interviews provide insights into the
strengths of the organization as well as valuable data for changes that may be needed:
Try to make the exit interview positive so that the leaving employee becomes an ambassador
for the organization.
Ask, with sincere and open ended questions, about the reasons for leaving and what
modifications they recommend for recruitment, onboarding, support, supervision and
performance development processes.
Looking out for the aggrieved employee
Signs of an aggrieved employee might be illustrated through phrases within the resignation letter
such as “…my position has become untenable,” or “I am unhappy with the working conditions.” In
these situations well executed exit interviews should provide important information for future
planning and management practices.
The next step is to work together with the employee to develop a transition plan. His/her idea of
what needs to be finished up before she leaves the organization may differ from that in the mind of
the supervisor, so it’s important to collaboratively make a list of the duties, projects currently being
working on and clients, colleagues and community leaders the person is regularly in contact with.
Spend ample time on this list, making it as comprehensive as possible, as the decision will need to
be made for who can take over those projects and responsibilities in the short-term. Also decide
together how to proactively respond to messages and correspondence as the staff member prepares
to leave and afterwards so that emails and phone calls don’t go unanswered.
The transition plan should include any specific loose ends that need to be tied up before the
proverbial going away cake is cut on Friday afternoon (e.g., getting the final sign-off on last
month’s budget or finalizing the agenda for next month’s department meeting). Having a specific
and finite list of final to-dos will give the staff member a sense of purpose and structure for his/her
last weeks—and will help ensure that the transition is as seamless as possible.
It is recommended to fill out the transition plan within a week of when notice was received, then
checking in regularly to sure plans are on track to finish everything up.
Adapated from an article by Dami Patel for KnowHowNonprofits
Transition Tips and Tools
Voluntary Separation
YWCA Stellar Staffing 42
Official notice of resignation received
Exit announcement and distribution plan developed
Confirmation letter of resignation provided to employee and checklist including:
Details of final pay: when it will be paid and how
Details of annual leave: entitlements minus leave taken
Benefit arrangements, e.g., COBRA
Return of organizational property
Deactivation of passwords and other access codes and keys
Team(s), stakeholders notified
Initial inspection and maintenance plan complete
Inspect office and grounds and determine if any repairs or maintenance is required by employee
Formally notify employee of repairs to be made or bond money to be withheld in absence of repairs being made
Plan for any additional maintenance or updates to be carried out before next employee moves in.
Any purchasing delegations cancelled with suppliers
Final timesheet completed
Final pay calculated and paycheck or paycheck schedule provided to employee
Any existing wage / salary auto payments stopped
Exit interview held, including a review the existing job description with the employee departing to make sure it is still appropriate for the position
Final inspection complete for return of organizational property, including keys and files
Passwords and other security codes changed
Certificate of employment issued to employee
Immigration notified if appropriate
Forwarding address / phone number recorded.
Employee file closed off:
(Employee records including wages / salary, timesheets and holiday records must be archived as per government/attorney recommendations)
Signed/Title: Date:
Transition Tips and Tools
Transition Plan Template
YWCA Stellar Staffing 43
Before any dismissal is planned be sure to engage appropriate professional counsel.
While most departures are voluntary, in some instances employees may need to be dismissed
because of:
Inadequate capability
Troublesome conduct or inadequate performance
Workforce reduction needs
Capability falls into two categories:
Job performance issues related to skill and aptitude. Here an employee has
demonstrated an inability to achieve and consistently maintain required standards
for the position for which they are employed and has not shown potential for
improvement.
Health related performance issues – Here an employee has become unable to
perform to the required standard due to long-lasting ill health.
Troublesome conduct or inadequate performance
An employee begins to not meet the required standard for h/her position
Dealing with capability and conduct
To manage both capability and low performance the organization’s set of performance
improvement or disciplinary procedures should be followed (usually part of the
organization’s personnel policies/staff handbook). These policies should incorporate the
following principles:
all employees will have performance concerns that arise explained to them and an
opportunity to discuss those concerns
all concerns are documented so that explicit examples along with an accompanying
standard can be illustrated
where potential for marked improvement has been demonstrated the employee is given a
chance to improve with clear objectives and guidelines for improvement. Supervision
becomes closer and more pointed to foster improved performance, and often involves
the integration of a coaching element.
A common aim is to achieve an improvement in performance or conduct and to avoid the
necessity of further action being taken (i.e., terminating one’s employment). A performance
improvement outline is available in the Resource Library’s Staff Vitality section.
In the case of an involuntary situation the same transition plan steps apply as outlined for a
voluntary resignation.
Transition Tips and Tools
Involuntary Separation
YWCA Stellar Staffing 44
The need for layoffs may emerge if the organization:
needs to reduce its workforce
decides to close a program
needs to employ (or expects to employ) fewer or a different type of staff for work of a
particular kind.
Alternatives to layoffs are:
a reduction in hours where jobs would accommodate a part-time schedule
sabbaticals, term time contracts, and unpaid holiday time
individual requests for unpaid leave
individual requests for early retirement
minimizing the recruitment of temporary employees or short-term contracts
In the case of a lay-off situation the same transition plan steps apply as outlined for a
voluntary resignation.
Transition Tips and Tools
If a Reduction in Staff Becomes Necessary or is Planned
YWCA Stellar Staffing 45
About:
Succession planning is an ongoing process of
systematically identifying, assessing, and
developing talent to ensure leadership
continuity for all key positions in an
organization. Succession planning does not
exist in isolation.
It should be interwoven with the
organization's strategic objectives and should
reflect the way the organization needs to
evolve in order to achieve its strategic goals.
This means that the kinds of leadership
styles, skills, and behaviors needed might be
different in the future from those in the
existing culture.
Succession planning improves the
organization’s capability and helps minimize
the risk around gaps in critical roles - the
roles currently crucial to the achievement of
organizational outcomes and operations.
A vacancy in a critical role will have a
significant effect on the ability of the
organization to deliver outputs, achieve
milestones or meet budget requirements.
A lengthy vacancy, underperformance or
high turnover in a critical role is a worst-case
scenario. Undertaking succession planning
is an integral part of workforce planning and
also leads to improved employee agility,
participation, retention and culture.
Succession planning is an aspect of
succession management that involves
planning future succession needs and should
be based on factual data.
One way to ensure a successful transition is
to build a culture of strong leadership
whereby employees show effective
leadership at all levels. Strengthening
leadership capacity throughout the
organization can enable a highly successful
transition by reducing dependency on a
single individual, such as a certain senior
leader or key person.
Essential Elements:
Organizations will be well served by
assessing their current culture and ensuing
that their culture is clearly defined and
sustained.
This will help define the competencies
needed today and in the future for critical,
key positions. Organizations can then
choose, assess, and develop their leaders
based on what the organization aims to
become in the future. Rather than develop
talent to fill specific positions, it is more
prudent to develop general competencies
and to create flexibility and leadership
potential at all levels.
Another key issue related to succession is
the transfer of knowledge. A leadership
transition often leads to the loss of critical
tacit knowledge that has built up
throughout the years. Strategies such as
consistent documentation and
recordkeeping, attention to effective
systems and processes, and deliberate
knowledge sharing are just a beginning.
Creating a so-called "knowledge-based
culture" can deliver dividends when an
organization is faced with succession of a
leader.
Knowledge transfer should start with
intention and a road map that outlines the
possible high-gain areas on which to focus.
Creating a knowledge-based culture within
an association can streamline the
duplication of effort needed to reconstruct
existing knowledge, and more importantly,
it can minimize the risk of critical
association knowledge residing in the heads
of only a few staff members.
By Andre Mamprin , Banff Centre for Conferences, for American Society for Association Executives
Transition Tips and Tools
Succession Planning Primer
YWCA Stellar Staffing 46
A successful organization leadership succession plan maps the landscape, prepares for
contingencies, and minimizes disputes. Simultaneously, an organization needs to enable
an orderly transition, ensure continuity, and build a legacy.
The following five-step process provides a framework for effective organization
succession.
Step 1: Build a Solid Organizational Foundation
The key to a successful succession plan lies in building a solid foundation of vitality and
growth for the organization. This happens long in advance of any actual succession date.
Step 2: Co-develop an Exit Strategy
Leaders should start with the end in mind. Any sound and successful strategy begins
with a goal or vision of the desired outcome. The organization leader should co-develop
a solid framework that acts as a road map for successfully navigating the challenges of
the modern non-profit world - including the exits and integrations of outgoing and
incoming people in key positions.
Step 3: Minimizing the Organization’s Risk
In many cases, the illness, serious injury, or even death of an organization’s leader can
be devastating and can even mean peril. The risk-related component of the succession
plan ensures that the organization, its members, its staff, and the communities it serves
are protected.
Step 4: Strengthening Systems and Processes
Strong organizations deploy strong management and strong systems in the areas of
leadership and management as well as continuous improvement,
member/client/stakeholder focus, high-quality value offerings and services, and the
finding, hiring, and training of the best possible staff.
Step 5: Transitioning the Leadership
The final step is to identify gaps between required leadership for the coming period and
the existing talent pool and develop strategies to ensure the attraction of ample
capabilities.
Also see the companion resource: YWCA Executive Director/CEO Search Guide
Transition Tips and Tools
Five-points for Effective Succession Planning
Andre Mamprin , Banff Centre for Conferences, for ASAE
YWCA Stellar Staffing 47
Appendix
Application Process The Role of Applications and About Background Checks……… 48
Sample Job Application Form………………………………..……. 49-53 Sample Application Evaluation Form………………………..……. 54
Correspondence Templates
Interview Invitation…………………………………………….….… 55 Letter for those not selected for the first round of interviews…... 56 Letter for those not selected for the interview phase………….… 57 Letter for candidates interviewed but not selected…………….… 58
Sample Interview Questions
Appropriate and Inappropriate Interview Questions………….…. 59 Template for Preliminary Job Candidate Screening…….……….. 60 Face to Face Interview Question and Response Samples….…. 61-66
Sample Letters Regarding Employment
Letter of Employment………………………………………………. 67 Letter of Acceptance for a Resignation…………………………… 68 Letter for a Lay-off Situation……………………………………….. 69 Letter for an Involuntary Termination……………………………… 70
YWCA Stellar Staffing 48
The Role of Applications and Background Checks
Although résumés have been a valuable addition to the hiring process, human resources
professionals and labor lawyers now often advise employers to use employment applications
because of the legal and practical advantages they provide. Instead of requesting a resume,
employers can request that job candidates attach an introductory cover letter and description of their
first-hand experience relevant to the YWCA and the position.
Using an application may provide an employer with legal protection in the hiring process where a
résumé may contain information that cannot be used in a hiring decision. For example, a résumé
may list affiliations or organizations that reveal details about a person that are irrelevant to a hiring
decision or legally cannot be considered.
Also, since résumés are written differently, the lack of uniformity in the hiring process can lead to
claims of disparate treatment, a résumé may not give an employer all the information needed, and it
is easier to prescreen candidates using a standardized application.
A standardized application makes it easier to spot unexplained gaps in employment. That is an
important step in the hiring process and a critical part of exercising due diligence. Even if a pre-
employment background check is done, records can be missed because there is no national criminal
record resource for private employers. Criminal checks must be done in each county where the
applicant has lived, worked or gone to school.
An application should state that untruthfulness or material omissions are grounds to terminate the
hiring process or employment, no matter when discovered. This is critical, for example, when an
applicant is not truthful about a criminal conviction. A criminal conviction cannot be used to
exclude a job candidate without taking into account the nature of the offense, the nature of the job
and when the offense occurred.
There should be broad language asking about convictions and pending criminal cases. Some
employers make the mistake of asking only about felonies. However, misdemeanor convictions can
also be extremely serious, and should be queried, subject to legal limitations.
The form should indicate that the applicant consents to pre-employment background screening,
including educational and professional credentials, past employment and court records. Such a
release may discourage an applicant with something to hide, or encourage an applicant to be
forthcoming in an interview. If an employer plans on performing pre-employment credit screening,
the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that there must be a consent and disclosure form
separate from the application.
The form should also indicate that any release for a background investigation is valid for future
screening for retention, promotion or reassignment (unless revoked in writing). This is helpful, for
example, when an employer needs to conduct a post-employment investigation into allegations of
sexual harassment or other workplace problems.
The form should allow the applicant to indicate whether the current employer may be contacted for
a reference. And finally, an employer can include other standard matters. Examples include: the
organization's at will policy; the applicant's ability to perform the essential job functions, and, if
employed, the requirement to provide original documents to verify identity and right to work in the
United States.
By using an application an employer can avoid a number of problems in the hiring process and
promote a selection process that is fair to everyone. For more information, contact Employment Screening Resources (www.ESRcheck.com)
YWCA Stellar Staffing 49
Job Description and Application: YWCA _______________________________ The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
ywca ________________
(Overview, the highlights and requirements of the particular job description go here)
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YWCA Online Employment Application Form Position:
Please attach an introductory cover letter and description of your first-hand experience relevant to the YWCA and this position.
Contact and General Information Name: Date: Present address: How Long have you lived in this area?: Telephone: E-mail: If appointed, when would you be available to start?: How did you learn of this opening?:
Do you have the necessary documentation proving your legal right to work the U.S? ____Yes ____ No
Education LEVEL NAME OF SCHOOL LOCATION and
WEBSITE # OF YRS
COMPLETED MAJOR & DEGREE
PHONE of Registrar Office
College/University
Graduate School
Other
continues…..
ywca ____________
YWCA Stellar Staffing 51
Work Experience / Employment Essentials
1. EMPLOYMENT DATES:
NAME OF ORGANIZATION:
LOCATION: SALARY: CONTACT: Name/Phone to verify employment:
TITLE: MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: (leave blank if described on resume)
2. EMPLOYMENT DATES:
NAME OF ORGANIZATION LOCATION SALARY CONTACT Name/Phone to verify employment:
TITLE: MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: (leave blank if described on resume)
3. EMPLOYMENT DATES:
NAME OF ORGANIZATION LOCATION SALARY CONTACT Name/Phone to verify employment:
TITLE: MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: (leave blank if described on resume)
1. Have you ever been a member of, worked or served as a volunteer at a YWCA?
______ Yes ______ No
If yes, please elaborate:
2. Do you have a valid driver’s license or consistently reliable way to get to work and, if required, to frequent off-site appointments? ______ Yes ______ No
3. Have you ever been in the U.S Armed Forces? _______ Yes ______ No
4. Are you now a member of the U.S. National Guard? _______ Yes ______ No
5. If appointed, are you willing to submit to a controlled substance test? _____Yes _____ No
6. Are you able to perform the essential functions of this position, either with or without reasonable accommodation? _______Yes _______ No
7. Have you ever been convicted of a crime? _______ Yes _______ No
If yes, explain conviction(s), how recently such offense(s) was/were committed, and disposition of the case:
YWCA Stellar Staffing 52
What experience and abilities do you have in the following areas? Mark the appropriate column for each type of experience.
Area
Developing
strength and
confidence in this
area
First-hand
experience in
this area
Years of
demonstrated
experience, high
level of strength
and high
confidence in
this area
Leadership --YWCA Mission fulfillment-general -- including racial justice -- women’s economic empowerment
--Growing and motivating the board
--Growing and motivating staff
--Growing the assets of an organization as a whole as well as a program or administrative capacity
Nonprofit Operations Management
Nonprofit Financial Management and Negotiating Skills
Nonprofit Planning and Visionary Thinking
Organizing work
Program/Administrative Development in the area of ______________ Staff Supervision this area:
Program/Administrative Development in the area of ______________ Staff Supervision this area:
Program/Administrative Development in the area of ______________ Staff Supervision this area:
Program/Administrative Development in the area of ______________ Staff Supervision this area:
Other Program Development and/or Staff Supervision Experience:
Advocacy for racial justice
Advocacy for women’s empowerment
Fundraising-Direct Solicitation
Fundraising-Grant Writing
Fundraising-Events
Verbal and written communication skills, Marketing, Communications
Community Relations and Promotion
YWCA Staff to Staff and YWCA Volunteer to Staff Relations
What abilities do you have with these/other computer software programs? (mark appropriate level)
Software
New to Me
Familiarity/Some
Use
Command of
General
Functions
Advanced
Abilities
MS Word MS Excel MS Powerpoint MS Access
Accounting Software (please name):
Fundraising Software (please name):
Website Design/Upkeep (please name):
Other Software (please name):
YWCA Stellar Staffing 53
Please list three recent work related references other than relatives
(letters of recommendation with contact information may be attached if you prefer)
1. Name _______________________________________ Relationship______________________________ Position ______________________________________ Organization______________________________ Address ______________________________________ Telephone _______________________ E-mail ______________________________________
2. Name _______________________________________ Relationship______________________________ Position ______________________________________ Organization______________________________ Address ______________________________________ Telephone _______________________ E-mail ______________________________________
3. Name _______________________________________ Relationship______________________________ Position ______________________________________ Organization______________________________ Address ______________________________________ Telephone _______________________ E-mail ______________________________________
May we conduct a comprehensive reference check with those listed above? _______ Yes May we also talk with colleagues not listed above that you are known to have worked with? _______ Yes _________ Yes, with the exception of (please list):
_______ Please contact me first _______Not at this time Please read each paragraph, then sign below
I certify that I have not purposely withheld information that might adversely affect my chances for hiring. I attest to the fact that the answers given by me are true & correct to the best of my knowledge and ability. I understand that any omission (including any misstatement) of material on this application or on any document supplied can be grounds for rejection of the application or, if I am employed by this organization, terms for my immediate expulsion.. I am aware that a background check may be conducted as a part of considering my application. As noted above, I permit the YWCA to examine my record of employment, education record and any
other information I have provided. I authorize the references I have listed to disclose any information related to my work record and my professional experiences with them without giving me prior notice of such disclosure. In addition, I release the organization, my former employers and all other persons, organizations, corporations, partners, collaborators and associations contacted from any and all claims, demands or liabilities arising out of or in any way related to such examination or revelation.
Applicant's Signature______________________________ Date:
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Sample Application Evaluation Form (developed by Purdue University)
Candidate’s Name: _______________________________________________ Additional Information: ____________________________________________ Preliminary: Has the minimum required certification(s) and degree(s) _______yes ________no Has first-hand and demonstrated experience with situations the YWCA encounters and constituents the YWCA serves _______yes ________no Has first-hand and demonstrated experience and skills eliminating racism _______yes ________no Has first-hand and demonstrated experience and skills empowering women _______yes ________no Has first-hand experience carrying out YWCA mission related advocacy _______yes ________no
Excellent Adequate Not Evident Identified Priority Skills: (enter for this position) 1. _______ _______ _______ 2. _______ _______ _______ 3. _______ _______ _______ 4. _______ _______ _______ 5. _______ _______ _______ Identified Priority Knowledge Areas: 1. _______ _______ _______ 2. _______ _______ _______ 3. _______ _______ _______ 4. _______ _______ _______ 5. _______ _______ _______ Identified Priority Personal Qualities: 1. _______ _______ _______ 2. _______ _______ _______ 3. _______ _______ _______ 4. _______ _______ _______ 5. _______ _______ _______ Comments:
YWCA Stellar Staffing 55
(Copy content, paste, and complete on YWCA letterhead)
<Applicant Name>
<Applicant Address>
Date
Dear <Applicant First Name>,
< Position Title>
Thank you for your interest in YWCA__________________ and for
applying for the above position.
We have read your application with interest and would like to invite
you to attend an interview with <insert name(s) and title(s)> Details of
the interview are as follows:
<date>
<time>
<location>
Should you require any special arrangements for your interview please
contact me so that we may meet your needs.
Please telephone me at: <telephone number> to confirm attendance,
with questions, and/or to establish an alternative interview time and
date.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
<Name>
<Position>
Sample correspondence template for job candidates
Interview invitation
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(Copy content, paste, and complete on YWCA letterhead)
<Applicant Name>
<Applicant Address>
Date
Dear <Applicant First Name>,
<Insert Position Title>
Thank you for your interest in YWCA________________ and for applying for
the above position.
We have received a high volume of applications for this position and your
submission is still being reviewed. If you are selected for an interview we
will contact you by ___________ to set a date and time.
If an interview invitation is not received by __________ it means that others
have been selected to move ahead at this time in this search process. In this
case your application will be kept on file for six months and you may contact
us to re-activate it if another vacancy is posted for which you would like to
apply.
Yours sincerely,
<Name>
<Position>
Sample correspondence template for job candidates
Letter for those not selected for the first round of interviews but who may still be considered
YWCA Stellar Staffing 57
(Copy content, paste, and complete on YWCA letterhead)
<Applicant Name>
<Applicant Address>
Date
Dear <Applicant First Name>,
<Insert Position Title>
Thank you for your interest in YWCA_____________ and for applying
for the above position.
At this time other candidates have been chosen to move ahead in this
search process, but your application will be kept on file for six months.
You may contact us to re-activate it if another vacancy is posted for which
you would like to apply.
We wish you well in your search for new employment and hope that you
find a fulfilling position.
Yours sincerely,
<Name>
<Position>
Sample correspondence template for job candidates
Letter for those not selected for the interview phase
YWCA Stellar Staffing 58
(Copy content, paste, and complete on YWCA letterhead)
<Applicant Name>
<Applicant Address>
Date
Dear <Applicant First Name>,
<Insert Position Title>
Thank you for your interest in YWCA_____________, for applying, and
for participating in the interview process for the above position.
Another candidate has been selected but your application will be kept on
file for six months. You may contact us to re-activate it if another
vacancy is posted for which you would like to apply.
We wish you well in your search for new employment and hope that you
find a fulfilling position.
Yours sincerely,
<Name>
<Position>
Sample correspondence template for job candidates
Letter for candidates interviewed but not selected
(Usually finalists receive a personal phone call in before the letter is mailed.
YWCA Stellar Staffing 59
Appropriate and Inappropriate Interview Questions
The following are examples of appropriate and inappropriate interview questions by subject matter. During the interview process or even during casual conversation, care needs to be taken to not ask questions that may elicit inappropriate information about the candidate. Check with your attorney to ensure compliance with the latest guidelines/laws..
Subject
Appropriate
Inappropriate
Address
“How long have you lived in this area?”
List of previous addresses, how long at each specific address.
Age
NONE.
Questions about age, request for birth certificate.
Arrest Record
Check the laws in your state – some states permit questions on pending charges if related to job, e.g., security or sensitive jobs.
Questions about pending charges for jobs other than those mentioned.
Family
NONE.
Number and ages of children, child bearing/rearing queries.
Citizenship
May ask questions about legal authorization to work in the specific position if all applicants are asked.
May not ask if person is a U.S. citizen.
Convictions
May ask if about a record of criminal conviction and/or offenses exist if all applicants are asked.
Usually questions about convictions unless all candidates are asked the same question and the information bears on job performance.
Education
Inquiries about degree or equivalent experience.
Questions about education that are not related to job performance.
Disability
May ask about applicant’s ability to do job-related functions.
Question (or a series of questions) likely to solicit information about a disability.
Marital or Parental Status
Whether applicant can meet work schedule or job requirements. Needs to be asked of all job applicants, regardless of gender.
Any inquiry about marital status, children, pregnancy, or child care plans.
National Origin
May only ask if applicant is legally authorized to work in this specific position. Need to ask of all applicants.
May not ask if person is a U.S. citizen.
Personal Finances
NONE.
Inquiries regarding credit record, owning a home, or one’s wage garnishment record are usually prohibited.
Political Affiliation NONE. Inquiries about membership in a political party.
Organizations
Inquiries about professional organizations related to the position.
Inquiries about professional organizations suggesting race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.
Race, Color, Religion Or Sexual Orientation
NONE. Re: Religious observances, describe the work schedule and ask whether applicant can work that schedule. Also suggest that schedule accommodations are possible.
Comments/inquiries about complexion, color of skin, height, weight, or sexual orientation. Inquiries about religious preferences, affiliation, or denominations.
Work Experience
Applicant’s previous employment experience.
Stereotypical inquiries regarding protected group members.
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YWCA_______________ Candidate
YWCA Knowledge 1. How did you choose to apply for this position? 2. How will your knowledge and abilities help to eliminate racism and empower women through your work at the YWCA?
Program/Service Knowledge 3. What are the top 3 abilities that someone must have to effectively perform in the position you are applying for? Staff Leadership/Service Delivery Essentials 4a. What do you feel marks a strong curriculum and service delivery, or processes for the department you would be working in?
4b. …Same for to sustaining a strong YWCA?
5. What do you feel ensures a productive and effective relationship between a staff member and h/her supervisor, staff, clients, parents or ‘customers?’
6. What do you feel is needed to sustain a cohesive YWCA staff that gives their best?
7. What are sure signs that staff members are providing responsible and remarkable YWCA service and leadership? Promotion and Advocacy Essentials
8. What type of advocacy efforts related to eliminating racism and empowering women have you planned and/or participated in?
9. You are in the midst of a discussion related to a recent incident or report about racism. The people you are speaking
with may not know why it is a YWCA priority – what role would you play and what points would you make? 10. You are in the midst of a discussion about pay equity. The people you are speaking with may not know why it is a
YWCA priority – what role would you play and what points would you make?
11. Included in the YWCA’s public policy agenda are pro-choice, hate crime, gay and lesbian rights, and pro-affirmative
action stands. Would a visible, public connection with and public advocacy on these issues interfere with your ability to fulfill all the responsibilities of the position and enthusiastically foster the organization’s growth?
Our Community 12. What do you know about the communities we serve and what are your impressions about the needs of women?
(For supervisor/managerial positions) 1. When interviewing staff, what are a couple of questions you always ask? 2. What do you feel are the keys to developing and tracking a budget and making recommendations? 3. What steps would you take to become known among community leaders?
Template for Preliminary Job Candidate Screening
Usually conducted by phone - not all questions will fit every situation
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Overall Skills and Abilities Sample Questions What to Look For Staff and volunteer
partnership, teamwork motivation, leadership,
and development
a. Introduce yourself as if we have not met you yet. b. One year from now, how will other staff members
and volunteers describe their usual interactions with you?
c. One or two other staff members or volunteers
consistently voice their opinions in ways that appear to silence others. What help would you offer?
d. What is the toughest decision you have ever made? Why was it difficult? How do you come to the determination you made?
a.Where ‘I’ came from and what excites ‘me’ about serving in this YWCA leadership role. (How engaging
is the candidate? How authentic does the candidate seem?) b.Communications are clear, sensitive to different styles and needs, motivating, confidence building; mutual
expectations are talked about openly; assessments are accurate; reasoning behind questions, intents, and plans is talked about openly; challenges, opportunities, and their potential impacts are presented in a timely manner and forthrightly; makes appropriate decisions to keep high and consistent standards, committed to a learning organization environment. Look for a combination of mentor-leader-contributing team member and one who motivates others to work together.
c. Establish who should discuss with this person the essential pieces of the YWCA culture that ensure
leadership development, and the expectations of staff and volunteers to enable all perspectives to be voiced and heard.
d. Logic is reasoned and appropriate in the scope of considerations Planning, evaluation and
continuing improvement
a. Tell us of a time when you improved the scope or delivery of a program or service.
b. Tell us about a time you provided excellent client/customer service.
a. Continuing improvement obviously drives considerations and decisions. b. The need to understand clients/customers and what they are searching for drives responses and discussions.
Financial literacy, budgeting,
monitoring and management
a. What steps do you take in creating a budget, then
monitoring income and expenses each month?
b. Describe a situation where you were the key negotiator – what was at stake and how did the situation turn out?
a. Obvious command of budgeting and knowledge of the role ratio figuring plays in analysis & reporting.
Ability to balance budget concerns with the organization’s stated charitable purpose. Ability to figure/understand unit income and unit costs for each program. Knows what information to keep easily accessible. Ability to take action/make prudent recommendations to avoid deficits.
b. Clear sense of what is in the YWCAs best interest and what is in the vendor’s best interest. Comfort and
ability to settle on a fair contract.
Clear, concise, communications
a. Please write a short paragraph that describes a challenge or opportunity you feel currently faces this YWCA. b. Share the news that there will be a funder site visit next week and give us an idea of what we should say.
a. Comfort in meeting the challenge/embracing the opportunity head on. Exudes confidence in herself and
the YWCA as the challenge/opportunity is pursued. Ability to engage and motivate people toward desired goals and increased contributions. Appropriate writing skills show through – handwriting is legible.
b. Appropriate presentation of the funder and its role, involvement of staff in generating ideas for YWCA aims during the visit.
Public relations/solicitation
skills and savvy;
a. Introduce yourself to us as if we are a group that includes the president of the United Way, newspaper editor, mayor, and president of the Chamber of Commerce. b. One year from now, how will these leaders describe their relationship with you?
a. Desire to be externally focused and seen as a respected community leader vs internally focused and seen
as a manager of YWCA day to day operations. Demonstrated success and comfort with creating and actively sustaining personal, positive relationships with community decision makers, media staff, and funders. Demonstrated success and comfort seeking out people and engaging them as YWCA supporters.
b. Forthright, visionary but not folly, delivers on promises, is sought out as a community leader with specialty in issues facing women and girls and people of color in the community.
Face to Face Interview Question and Response Samples
Not all questions will fit every situation – Categories are Skills and Abilities, Knowledge, and Personal Qualities
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Knowledge Sample Questions What to Look For Issues facing women, girls, and people of color on several levels YWCA advocacy priorities; current non-profit organizational trends.
a. What issues related to the YWCA mission and non-profit leadership do you
track on an ongoing basis? b. What sources have you found to be the most helpful to “stay in the know? c. How would you further awareness of and action on the YWCA public policy
agenda d. What do you see as current leadership and management trends facing non-
profits?
a-c Demonstrated knowledge of issues facing women, girls, people of color, and organizational
leadership. Knows YWCA Advocacy stands and priorities. d. Knowledge of outcome-based funding, trends toward funding specific causes vs generic non-
profits/operations, etc.
Organizational/program
planning & development strategies, including collaborations and marketing partnerships.
a. Describe the planning, development, and collaborative opportunity approaches
you have found to be most effective. b. When an initiative has worked very well and identified goals are met, what elements
have been present? c. When you have led an initiative that has not worked, what happened, and what
was learned?
a. Visionary but logical. Values volunteer and staff input and time. Rooted in the YWCA
mission. Appropriate collaborative consideration guidelines. b-c. Knows what to build into each process, knows what to nurture. (i.e. genuine commitments and backing, accurate research, viability/relevancy/salability of idea) .
Financial Management and budgeting
a. How have you determined/projected an organization’s cash flow? b. What are some strategies you have used in adjusting the timing of cash flow? c. Some board members may not have a background in finances/accounting.
What three accounting concepts would you want them to understand and how would you ensure they ‘get it’?
d. What have you done to turn around a financially unstable organization? e. What is your philosophy and process in developing a budget?
a. Knows that cash flow varies from budget line to budget line, month to month, and season to season. Knows how to do a 12-month projection based on actual rhythms of $ in & out. b. Planning payables given anticipated receivables. c-d What the actual financial status is, if it is improving – why; if it is deteriorating—why. Ability to learn from financial reports. What the common ratios show. Is capable of making recommendations to keep the financial status on track or get it back on track. d.-e. involve staff of the departments, “nail” unit income and expenses, build from the bottom up (expenses), explicitly identify where any funds to cover any gaps between income and expenses will come from and obtain serious commitments.
Fund development
strategies
a. What types of relationships do you and those you will be guiding need to have, with whom, for a comprehensive, effective fund development program?
b. Describe the planning and fundraising development approaches you have found to be most effective.
c. When a fundraising initiative works very well and identified goals are met, what elements have been present?
d. When you have led/been a major part of a fundraising initiative that has not worked, what happened, and what was learned?
a. Knowledge of who holds what purse strings and how to engage them in the YWCA. b. Knowledge of emerging prospects, estate planning trends, etc. Knows how to access a place
in state/community budgets. c. Visionary but logical. Values volunteer and staff input and time. Rooted in the YWCA
mission. d. Knows what to build into each process, knows what to nurture….i.e. genuine commitments-
(especially among board members) and backing, accurate research, viability/relevancy/salability of idea).
Facilities management a. Given the YWCA’s facilities, what systems and construction elements what do you know about and what will you need to learn about?
b. How would you keep on top of the status of the facilities and their contents? c. How would you go about arranging for major repairs needed?
a. The major systems and components of the buildings are covered in the list of what the candidate knows about and what h/she needs to learn about.
b. List of major systems and components of the buildings, inspection program and service log c. Would pursue multiple bids from reputable companies.
Legal & ethical responsibilities
a. What legal and ethical responsibilities do you feel come with this position? a. Candidate is aware of legal responsibilities of the organization as well as in the ED role; Truth isn’t stretched no matter what impression the candidate wants to make; all interactions are reflective of the YWCA Mission; Delivering on promises is key, even if the promise is to just “call you tomorrow,” Is well versed with conflict of interest requirements.
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Personal Qualities Sample Questions What to Look For Unwavering integrity,
ethical, accountable
Can be covered through above questions
As above
Intelligent, organized
and conscientious
a. Given the job description, where will your intellect be most visible?
b. Tell us about the most complex problem or opportunity you
have tackled and about the largest responsibility you have taken on.
a. Awareness of strengths, areas of the job where she can have the greatest impact. b. Logical, reasoned approach to problem solving. Clear, concise delivery of answer.
Visionary, courageous,
leadership oriented
a. What vision do you have for this organization (or
program)? b. What are the first steps you would take toward this vision?
a. Leadership vs. management oriented
The candidate has a fitting vision for the organization/program but knows that the vision to be pursued is not her decision alone to make.
b. Facilitate a visioning process with stakeholders to create a fitting vision, develop a plan, pursue the plan.
Consensus builder
a. For major projects and plans, what type of endorsement would you seek?
b. What process would you use to build support for a project
or plan of action?
a. The more on board with a project the better its chances for success. Major efforts that achieve consensus among stakeholders will get off to a much stronger start. b. Stakeholders are invited to be involved, plan organically builds on this input vs being presented and simply approved.
Career Motivation a. How does this organization and position further with your career goals?
Being a YWCA staff member is fully aligned with the candidate’s past positions and future goals.
Engaging, inspiring,
motivational empowering
a. How would you say you draw people in and motivate them toward higher goals? b. What is the difference, in your mind, between power and empowerment? c. What are some situations where the use of power is appropriate, what are situations where the empowerment approach is appropriate?
a. Sensitive to the way others like to communicate, knows about creating an environment of trust and
steady progress on goals is obvious. b. Power – dominance in a situation with little solicitation/involvement of other voices.
Empowerment – Voices of those the organization is in the business to serve drive the process – outcomes are designed to meet needs of constituents as expressed in her/their own voice(s).
c. The use of power is limited to times when safety and wellbeing are at risk, when actions or interactions
are in conflict with the YWCA mission, and/or swift action is necessary to preserve the organization and/or its reputation. In program delivery and board and staff development an empowerment approach is key to meeting the YWCA mission.
Passionate about and
committed to the YWCA mission.
a. Describe how your want to further the YWCA mission evolved. b. Describe your personal and professional passions and how they evolved from areas of interest to areas of passion. c. Describe the personal and professional commitments you have made and how they evolved from belief in a principle to making a commitment to action.
d. Given that you are seeking a change, please tell us about other options you are considering.
a. Has the candidate intentionally placed herself in environments and organizations that are wholly compatible with the YWCA Mission, or is she just interested in getting a job? b. Is there continuity between the candidate’s interests and pursuits and the YWCA mission? c. Does the candidate see the YWCA mission and values as her own? d. Other options should be compatible with YWCA work and values.
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Important Skills/Abilities to Watch and Listen For: Advocacy, Assessment/Analysis and Evaluation, Computer/internet applications, Conflict prevention and resolution, Prudent management, Delegation, Diverse relationship building, Long-term financial resource and Program development. Human, resource and overall organizational, leadership, development and management relating to board and staff (depending on the position), Prioritization/decision making, and Situational leadership. See “Additional Query Areas” below. Knowledge to see Demonstrated: Particulars to the position, YWCA mission, history and vision Personal Qualities to see Demonstrated: Ambassador, Balances life and work successfully, Brings out best in people, Cheerleader, Compassionate, Emotionally healthy, Endless supply of energy, Patient Respectful, Respected, Savvy, Self aware. Additional Interview Scenarios to Consider: Analytical Skills
- Tell us about a particularly difficult problem that you analyzed, including your recommendation and the outcome.
- Describe a situation where you came up with a creative solution to a problem. Decision Making
- Describe a situation that illustrates your ability to exercise good judgment. - What type of decisions do you make in your current position? - What decisions are easiest for you to make and which ones are the most difficult? Why? - What items of information do you typically need before you make a decision, what steps are involved
in your decision making process? - How would decisions be communicated to YWCA stakeholders – for example, the Board? Interpersonal
- What would your current/last supervisor(s) say about your work- both positive and negative? - What would those you supervised say about you- both positive and negative? - What three key words would your peers use to describe you? - Describe a situation in which your work was criticized. Describe the situation and how you responded
to the criticism. - How do you maintain an effective working relationship with the staff you supervise? Fundraising
- What is your approach to fundraising? - Tell us about your most successful fundraising effort - How have you worked with board members and volunteers in this regard? - What do you expect from a board members and volunteers in this area? - Tell us about your grant writing experience.
Interview Questions Summary
Choices will depend on the position
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Judgment
- Is there an ethical question you have had to handle on the job? If so, how did you handle the situation? - Tell us about a situation that would exemplify your integrity. - Describe a politically sensitive situation that you were in and how you handled the situation. - In instances where you have to assert yourself, what do you do to do it effectively? - Tell us about a situation where you made a mistake. How did you handle the mistake and what was
the resolution?
Leadership
- Provide a few examples of how you have demonstrated leadership in your previous/current position(s). How have your leadership skills been developed, been used, been tested?
- What is your strongest leadership characteristic/skill and how will it assist you with this position? - Discuss different styles of leadership and help us understand how you would characterize your style. - What have you done to continue to develop your leadership skills?
Mission
- Knowing the YWCA mission, how would it influence your approach to your work? - How would you expect to see the mission reflected every day? - How does a mission guide the work of an organization? Give examples.
Motivation
- What motivational techniques have you used with work staff and volunteers? - What motives employees you have worked with? What motivates you? - Nonprofits often do not have the means to give employees bonuses, pay increases, what other positive motivational
tools have you used or would you use?
Performance Measurement
- What are the keys to an effective performance measurement program? - What are some of the means by which performance can be measured? - How would you communicate the implementation of a formal performance measurement program?
Planning
- Tell us about your experience with strategic planning. What made it successful? What would you do differently? - How did you ensure that the implementation of the plan was steady and consistent with its objectives? - How do you keep track of a wide range of details and stay organized?
Pressure
- Tell us about a pressure situation you were in that would demonstrate your ability to work (gracefully) under pressure. - Provide us with an example of how you’ve asserted yourself in an emergency or high-pressure situation? - What does it take to get under your skin – how does your behavior change?
Problem Solving
- Provide us with an example of your problem-solving ability. - Tell us about a situation in which you were required to analyze and solve a complex problem. - Please describe how you incorporated collaborative problem solving in your last position/organization.
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Team Work
- What do you feel are the characteristics of a productive team, and how do you ensure the development of these characteristics?
- What factors would you consider in assembling a project team? - Name some of the pitfalls to be avoided in building an effective team. - Tell us about a successful team that you were a member of. Tell us about a successful team that you led. - What qualities do you have that make you an effective team player?
Responsibility
- Briefly describe the most significant responsibility you have had in your career and what it taught you?
Risk
- What was the greatest risk you’ve taken? How did it work out? What did you learn from the situation?
Strengths
- What are your three greatest strengths? - Based on the Association background we’ve shared, what do you believe you can contribute to the YWCA? - We’ve interviewed a number of highly qualified directors for this position. What sets you apart from the others? Why
should we hire you?
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Sample Letter of Employment
(Copy content, paste, and complete on YWCA letterhead)
Dear:
YWCA _______________ extends a warm welcome to you as the______________, effective
_________________, 20_. We are pleased that you will join efforts, along with hundreds of YWCAs across the country and around the world, to eliminate racism and empower women.
Your duties, responsibilities, and priorities are clearly outlined in the attached job description, reviewed with you during the interview process. Your annual salary is $______/ payable as
earned __________.
Your performance will be discussed on an ongoing basis with formal performance and
planning conferences scheduled within your first six months of employment and then at least annually. As we discussed during the interview process, we will jointly establish performance
goals based on the current opportunities and needs of the YWCA.
Attached is a copy of the performance appraisal tool, which will be used for this purpose. In a
few weeks I will review the form with you and address any questions you may have.
As you are aware, _____ (state) is an employment-at-will state, and we have the right to
terminate your employment at any time for any reason and you have the same right. Completion of your initial introductory period does not alter the at-will status. The YWCA
continues to have the right to terminate employment or change the conditions of employment
with or without advance notice. You also have the same right.
Please read the YWCA personnel policies and job description carefully so that you understand
the responsibilities you are accepting and conditions of employment. These include participation in the YWCA Retirement Fund as soon as the eligibility criteria is met, and
attendance at YWCA events as assigned/determined. If you have any questions or need clarification on any of these conditions please contact me immediately.
Please sign this letter and return to me by____________, to indicate your acceptance of the position and understanding of the terms and conditions of employment. We look forward to
working with you.
Sincerely,
Supervisor: Date
Staff__________________________Date cc: YWCA Human Resources Department
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Sample Letter of Acceptance for a Resignation
(Copy content, paste, and complete on YWCA letterhead)
Date
Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear ,
I am writing to accept your resignation from the position of _____________ [insert title and
department], effective at the end of the day on ________________ (insert last day of work).
Your separation information and logistics relevant to your employment are as follows: (list
details regarding the use of or payout of paid leave balances and other benefits or applicable
arrangements, e.g., COBRA).
As you know the YWCA holds exit interviews to learn more about your experiences as a staff member. For this purpose, please see ________________to schedule a meeting.
Thank you for your _______ years of service. Good luck in your future endeavors and thank you again for all that you contributed to YWCA_______________.
Sincerely,
cc: YWCA Human Resources Department
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Sample Letter for a Lay-off Situation
(Copy content, paste, and complete on YWCA letterhead)
Date
Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear
As you know, your employment in the position of ________________ at the YWCA is subject
to the availability of funds. As discussed on _____________ the funding for this position will
end on ____________[date], at which time we must terminate your appointment.
Your contributions to the YWCA have been greatly appreciated and we will be happy to
provide a reference for you to seek other employment if you so desire.
Your separation information and logistics relevant to your employment are as follows: (list details
regarding the use of or payout of paid leave balances and other benefits or applicable arrangements, e.g.,
COBRA).
Thank you for your _______ years of service. As you know the YWCA holds exit interviews to learn
more about your experiences as a staff member. For this purpose, please see ________________to
schedule a meeting.
If you have any questions about the contents of this letter, please ask. Good luck in your future
endeavors and thank you again for all that you contributed to YWCA_______________.
Sincerely,
cc: YWCA Human Resources Department
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Sample Letter for an Involuntary Termination
(Copy content, paste, and complete on YWCA letterhead)
Date
Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear
This letter is to relay that, in the best interest of the YWCA your employment is ending effective
________ [date] at _________ (time).
By letter dated____________ [date], you were offered the position of__________ [position title]
and advised that the employment relationship established by your acceptance of the offer is at will, and may be terminated by either party, at any time.
Your separation information and logistics relevant to your employment are as follows: (list
details regarding the use of or payout of paid leave balances and other benefits or applicable
arrangements, e.g., COBRA).
Thank you for your _______ (months/years) of service. Please contact the Human Resources Office if you have questions about your benefits or any other matters pertaining to your
employment with the YWCA.
Sincerely,
cc: YWCA Human Resources Department